The risk of the conflict surrounding Iran spreading beyond the Persian Gulf is increasing, as Yemen’s Houthis reportedly consider measures against Saudi shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, citing sources in Sana’a, the Houthis are discussing a strategy described as “blockade for blockade.” The options reportedly include preventing vessels bound for Saudi Arabia from passing through Bab al-Mandab and disrupting operations at the Red Sea ports of Yanbu and Jeddah.
No official naval blockade against Saudi Arabia has been announced, and the reported discussions do not yet amount to a confirmed operational decision. They nevertheless suggest that the strategic waterway could once again become a pressure point if the regional conflict escalates.
Bab al-Mandab connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and carries a significant share of maritime trade between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Any disruption in the strait could affect shipping routes already under pressure from continuing instability across the region.
Yanbu is especially important because it serves as the Red Sea outlet of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, which transports crude from fields in the east of the country. Jeddah is also a major commercial and logistical hub on the Red Sea coast.
Disruption at either port could affect not only Saudi Arabia, but also regional energy exports and commercial shipping.
A Houthi move against Saudi-linked maritime traffic could widen the geography of the conflict from the Strait of Hormuz to Bab al-Mandab. Such a development could connect the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Yemen fronts more closely within the same regional confrontation.
For now, the plans reported by Al-Akhbar remain under consideration. However, the inclusion of Bab al-Mandab and Saudi ports among possible pressure points indicates that the risk of the Iran conflict spreading to new countries and strategic maritime routes is growing.