In response to continued U.S. attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Yemen, the country has announced a sweeping ban on the transport of American crude oil through regional waters, effective from May 17. The ban covers all forms of export, re-export, transfer, loading, buying, or selling—directly or indirectly—including ship-to-ship transfers, even via third parties. Violators will be labeled as aggressors and barred from using strategic waterways such as the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean.