A naval blockade of the Red Sea, where another 7% of global oil supply passes through the Bab el-Mandeb, was announced today by Yemen’s armed forces, as reported by Reuters. The Houthis’ armed forces declared “a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of ‘an eye for an eye', effective immediately” in response to what they called “an unjust and oppressive siege” imposed on Yemen by the Saudis. There was no immediate response from Saudi Arabia.
The equation of an ‘eye for an eye’ was, according to Middle East Eye, a reference to the comment made by Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, that the Trump Administration had provided him wide latitude to strike Yemen. The two countries had fired at each other last week, after a truce of several years. Iran has called upon Yemen to engage in the blockade, as Saudi Arabian oil export via the Red Sea has increased during the U.S.-Israel assault on Iran. It is reported to be currently around 4.5 million barrels per day.
