A Houthi-affiliated official has warned that the group may close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, effectively halting oil exports through the Red Sea. The statement, made by Houthi Information Ministry spokesperson Muhammad Mansour, described the closure as one of several options under consideration. The strait, located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, is about 26 kilometers wide at its narrowest point and connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

According to the report, approximately 12 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes through Bab al-Mandeb, while 20 percent moves through the Strait of Hormuz, which is under Iranian control. If both straits were closed, global oil supply disruptions could reach 32 percent. Saudi Arabia has been using its east-west pipeline as an alternative route to maintain exports and stabilize oil prices.

Mansour linked the potential closure to rising tensions involving Israel and the United States, adding that a final decision could be made soon.