LONDON: The fears of many came to fruition as, following further Houthi attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Yemeni militia entered the war by imposing a blockade on the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
The aim was a further tightening on global oil supplies already being exercised by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz and the target was clear: Saudi Arabia and its oil exports. By Thursday, oil prices had hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May.
The Saudi-led Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced it had “executed a firm, resolute and proportionate military response” to the Houthi’s “reckless, cowardly act” and said it was “adding this terrorist act to a long list of marine crimes and terror acts in one of the most important International Sea Lines of Communication.”
The Houthi’s so-called “Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center” announced its intention in an email to global shipping companies which warned that “to avoid the risks associated with violating the ban decision, we strongly recommend that your company exercise due diligence and the utmost care in all its dealings and ensure that no vessel voyages are conducted to or from Saudi ports, as any such activity would expose the violating vessels to sanctions.” Any ships that ignored the ban “may be subject to targeting in any location within the operational reach.”
