Houthis Advance on Bab al-Mandeb as Saudi Oil Route Comes Under Threat

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Yemen's Houthis captured the Red Sea port of Mocha on Thursday, taking the approach to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea (and the Suez Canal, beyond it) to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Bab al-Mandeb is 12 miles wide and carries 6.

2 million barrels of oil and refined products a day (plus ~80% of the LNG shipped north to Europe). Houthi attacks made these waters unsafe for shipping in 2024, and Suez Canal revenue fell more than 60% that year, costing Egypt $7B.