Houthi Advances Deepen Pressure on Red Sea Oil Routes
Kabarsaji.com – Houthi forces in Yemen have expanded their reach across the southern Red Sea, announcing on Monday that they had taken control of Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish islands. The move adds new strain to Saudi Arabia’s ability to move oil through waters that have become increasingly important since the Strait of Hormuz was shut.
The island seizures come during a widening regional confrontation linked to the war in Iran. With the Hormuz passage closed after US President Donald Trump began bombing Iran on February 28, Saudi Arabia has been pushed to seek alternatives for moving exports toward overseas markets. Bab el-Mandab, the narrow waterway linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, has become central to that effort.
Control of the Hanish islands gives the Houthis a stronger position near shipping lanes used by vessels navigating the southern Red Sea. The group has already declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, raising concerns over the security of oil shipments and the wider impact on global energy prices.
Alternative Route Faces New Obstacles
Before the present crisis, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Its closure has contributed to an international energy and economic emergency, increasing prices and forcing producers to reconsider their transport routes.
Saudi Arabia has tried to redirect exports through Bab el-Mandab, but the alternative corridor has come under growing pressure. Last week, Houthi forces captured Mayun Island and the Red Sea port of Mokha. The addition of Greater and Lesser Hanish further complicates Saudi access to the route.
The result is a tighter maritime environment around one of the world’s most strategically significant trading corridors. Saudi oil bound for Asian customers now has limited secure options: it can travel through the Suez Canal or take the considerably longer route around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
For shipping companies and energy buyers, the disruptions underline the importance of narrow sea passages that connect producing regions to major markets. Any interruption can force cargoes onto longer routes, delay deliveries and add costs throughout the supply chain.
Missile and Drone Attacks Continue
The island operation unfolded alongside a fresh wave of Houthi military action against Saudi targets. On Monday, the group launched missiles and drones at Saudi military sites, continuing an offensive that has intensified as the Iran conflict has expanded.
A Houthi spokesperson said the attacks inflicted major damage and were a response to Saudi air operations in Yemen.
“Significant damage”
“More than 300 [Saudi] airstrikes in [Yemen over] the past five days.”
The Houthis and Saudi Arabia have long been on opposing sides of Yemen’s conflict. Riyadh has supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government, while the Houthis control substantial territory in the country’s north, including the capital, Sanaa.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when Houthi fighters took large areas of northern Yemen and pushed the government to relocate to Aden in the south. Saudi Arabia assembled a military coalition in 2015 to support the government, launching extensive air campaigns as the fighting developed into one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises.
The conflict had been largely dormant for four years before the war involving Iran reignited hostilities. The current fighting has brought Yemen’s internal divisions back to the center of a broader contest involving Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United States.
Iran Rejects Role in Yemen Conflict
Tehran has long been viewed as a supporter of the Houthis through its anti-Israel “axis of resistance.” However, Iran’s government again rejected claims that it is directing the group’s actions in Yemen.
“Iran does not interfere in Yemeni affairs.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the Houthis were independent actors who determine their own course.
“Entirely independent actors who make their decisions based on their own interests.”
The Houthi campaign nevertheless offers Iran potential strategic leverage while it faces US military pressure. Pressure on Saudi oil exports, Red Sea traffic and the Bab el-Mandab route could influence the broader regional balance at a time when Hormuz remains closed.
US-Saudi Consultations Intensify
Amid the escalation, Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command was in Jeddah on Monday for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The discussions focused on recent regional developments as the security situation around the Red Sea deteriorates.
Cooper has been in Saudi Arabia since Thursday for urgent coordination meetings. The United States has not agreed to directly enter the conflict on Saudi Arabia’s behalf despite a request from the crown prince for US intervention. Trump rejected that request, while agreeing to intelligence sharing and targeting assistance.
The distinction is significant for Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners. Intelligence support can strengthen military planning, but it does not amount to the direct deployment of US firepower against Houthi forces. The situation leaves Riyadh confronting immediate threats to infrastructure and maritime traffic while seeking to prevent a wider regional war.
Hormuz Talks Face Fresh Disputes
Iran also accused Saudi Arabia on Monday of slowing negotiations intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Baqaei described a planned meeting in Oman as an opportunity to restore regional security, saying Iran and Oman had finalized an agreement on opening the passage and that details would be announced later.
“A real opportunity”
Saudi officials have concerns about the longer-term consequences of any agreement and its potential effect on members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Tehran argues that Riyadh is using the fighting in Yemen as a reason to delay discussions over how Hormuz should be governed after the US campaign altered the previous arrangement.
China also voiced alarm on Monday, calling attacks on Saudi energy facilities unacceptable and expressing deep concern that the confrontation could spread further. With Hormuz closed and Red Sea routes under pressure, the stakes extend beyond the states directly involved. The safety of oil infrastructure and commercial shipping has become a matter of global economic importance.
The capture of the Hanish islands therefore represents more than a territorial gain in Yemen’s conflict. It places another sensitive maritime point under Houthi influence and intensifies the challenge facing Saudi Arabia as it attempts to keep energy exports moving through an increasingly contested region.
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