Houthis Threaten to Block Red Sea Oil Exports as Iran War Escalates

As tensions in the Middle East escalated again over the weekend, the Iran-aligned Houthis threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the key oil shipping lane still open for crude shipments from the Middle East via ports on the Red Sea. “If Sana'a decides to close the Bab al-Mandab, then all of mankind and jinn will be utterly powerless to open it,” Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein al-Ezzi posted on X, as quoted by media. “And therefore, it is best for Trump - and the complicit world - to immediately end all practices...
2026-04-20 09:30:00