Yemen's Houthi movement has declared a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia, saying it will close the Bab al-Mandab Strait – the southern gateway to the Red Sea – to Saudi vessels. The Iran-backed group said the move was retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen, and it comes amid the most serious escalation in the largely dormant Houthi-Saudi conflict since an informal truce began in 2022. The announcement is significant because the Red Sea has become increasingly important for oil shipments since the war between the US, Israel and Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said Saudi Arabia had imposed an "unjust and oppressive siege" on Yemen for nearly 12 years and vowed an "eye for an eye" response, though he gave few operational details; a Houthi media official said forces were closing Bab al-Mandab to Saudi ships. The declaration follows Houthi missile strikes on Abha airport, launched after air strikes on Sanaa's airport that the group blamed on Saudi Arabia. Yemen's civil war, which began in 2014 and drew in a Saudi-led coalition in 2015, has reportedly killed more than 150,000 people and left over 22 million in need of aid, according to the UN. The Houthis previously attacked Red Sea shipping between 2023 and 2024 in connection with the Gaza war, sinking four ships and killing nine crew members before pausing following last October's Gaza ceasefire.