Iran-Backed Houthis Blockade Red Sea Shipping and Strike Saudi Arabia

The Government of Iran activated Houthi proxies in Yemen to disrupt global shipping at the Bab el-Mandeb strait, creating a second maritime chokepoint to complement existing tensions at the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation began when Tehran flew a sanctioned aircraft into Sanaa airport, prompting the Saudi-backed government of Yemen to crater the runway. In retaliation, the Houthis launched a blockade on ships linked to Saudi Arabia and conducted missile and drone strikes on government-controlled cities.

Coordinated attacks targeted Saudi Aramco facilities and Abha airport, while Iraqi militias launched drone strikes on energy infrastructure in Riyadh and the Eastern Province. These actions drove Brent crude prices above $100 a barrel. On Tuesday, a Houthi missile strike on the cargo ship Tihamah in the Red Sea killed at least six people. The Yemeni Transport Ministry stated the vessel carried food supplies, while the Houthi military claimed it transported Saudi military equipment.

While the Houthis frame their demands around local grievances, including public salary payments and port access, the operation serves Tehran's strategic goal of applying economic pressure on the United States and Saudi Arabia during a U.S. election cycle. The escalation risks pushing Saudi Arabia into an all-out ground war in Yemen as the Houthis seek financial and political concessions.