Saudi Arabia faces Red Sea threat as Houthis tighten shipping chokehold

Dubai,UPDATED: Sep 13, 2026 03:46 IST

Saudi Arabia is facing fresh pressure on its energy and shipping routes as Houthi rebels advance near the Red Sea, drone attacks blamed on Iraqi militias force the closure of a key pipeline, and Iran continues to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz. The developments have unsettled global markets and deepened what former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney called an "incredibly frustrating" moment for the kingdom.

The crisis also comes at a time when Saudi Arabia's closest security partner, the United States, appears uncertain about widening its role in the region. With Washington's support looking less assured, Riyadh is weighing military and diplomatic options, even as analysts say each path carries serious risks.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, has spent years trying to reshape the region while pushing major social and economic change at home to turn the ultra-conservative country into a global business hub. Those plans were hit hard after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel set off a series of wars. When the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, and effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, trapping oil and gas exports and shaking the world economy.

Saudi Arabia was able to avoid some of the worst effects by moving oil across the Arabian Peninsula to the Red Sea. From there, it could send supplies to Europe through Egypt's SUMED pipeline and the Suez Canal, or to Asia through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and into the Indian Ocean. But tensions with the Houthis flared again in July, with the group declaring a blockade of Saudi shipping and resuming large-scale attacks for the first time in four years.

Over the last two days, the Houthis seized the port city of Mokha and a Red Sea island from Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, strengthening their ability to block Saudi shipments through the Bab el-Mandeb. On Friday, Saudi Arabia said it had shut down the pipeline running from major oilfields in the east to the Red Sea in the west because of drone attacks launched from Iraq, where Iran backs powerful militias. Regional officials recently told The Associated Press that the Houthis had helped Iraqi militias carry out attacks. According to figures compiled by global trade monitor Kpler, Houthi attacks had already caused Saudi oil exports to Asia to drop from around 3.4 million barrels a day in June to 1,28,000 in August, though they have recovered somewhat this month to 7,00,000.

The Saudi government did not respond to a request for comment. But a Saudi official, who was not authorised to brief the media and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the kingdom would defend itself and work with partners, including the United States, to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Ratney said, "Despite their antipathy for the Iranians, this is a war they never asked for, they had great trepidation about. And once it started, all of their worst-case scenarios started coming true."

Saudi Arabia fought the Houthis for years from 2015, but its allies made little progress on the ground. The conflict killed an estimated 1,50,000 people and at times pushed Yemen to the brink of famine before a 2022 ceasefire. Neil Quilliam, a Middle East expert at Chatham House, said, "Saudi Arabia has spent several years trying to move beyond the Yemen conflict and focus on economic transformation and regional stability. Recent Houthi gains increase pressure on Riyadh to respond, but every available option carries significant costs and uncertain outcomes."

One option is to intensify military action and try to push the Houthis back, but analysts said that could lengthen the conflict and trigger heavier attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure. Sherwan Hindreen Ali, Middle East research manager at conflict monitoring group ACLED, said, "The kingdom already faced this in the past, but Houthi weaponry is more sophisticated now than it was back then, and the Saudis likely have less interceptor missiles available as a result of the US-Iran conflict." Another option is diplomacy with either the Houthis or Tehran. But the Houthis want a Saudi-led blockade lifted, which could strengthen them over time, while Iran has little interest in regional stability without major concessions from the US.

For decades, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states relied on US security guarantees, but those have weakened under President Donald Trump. During his first term, he did not respond when a 2019 attack claimed by the Houthis temporarily knocked out half of Saudi Arabia's oil supply. In February, the US joined Israel in attacking Iran without consulting its Gulf allies, and since then it has struggled to defend them from Iranian attacks. The US had carried out airstrikes against the Houthis from January 2024 to January 2025 under the Biden administration, while Trump launched an air campaign against the rebels in March last year after earlier attacks on Red Sea shipping linked to the Gaza war. This time, however, US forces are heavily deployed around the Strait of Hormuz, where they are blockading Iran and trying to prevent attacks on shipping. The fighting has visibly strained the US military and reduced supplies of sophisticated interceptors.

The war is also unpopular in the US and has hurt Trump's support after he promised to keep the country out of Middle East wars. Asked about a recent call with the Saudi crown prince, Trump said on Saturday that Iran was "probably" behind the Saudi pipeline attack, adding: "He's a good friend of mine, and I can just say everything's going to work out fine and dandy." The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether it plans to intervene in Yemen. Speaking about the war with Iran on Thursday, Trump said, "Maybe I don't do that because of the election," when asked about increasing military pressure. Ratney said it would be difficult for the Saudis to achieve their goals without the kind of consistent US backing they had at earlier stages of the fight against the Houthis, adding, "My understanding at this point is the White House is not enthusiastic about getting involved."

The latest Houthi gains, the pipeline shutdown and the continuing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz have left Saudi Arabia under pressure on several fronts at once, even as its choices narrow and US support remains uncertain.

With PTI Inputs

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