Rising oil, shipping risks as Houthis threaten Saudi routes and Red Sea chokepointLast updated: September 11, 2026 | 07:445 MIN READPassengers disembark at Dubai International Airport.GN File UAE airports remain open and major flights are operating, though the regional security environment remains a challenge. The immediate risks for residents are flight changes, higher fuel and transport costs, shipping-related price pressures and the possibility of further escalation around Hormuz.The US-Iran war has widened into a broader fight over Gulf and Red Sea shipping, Saudi oil infrastructure and American military bases.The biggest development for the region today is the growing possibility that the conflict is no longer confined to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and its allies are now applying pressure on both ends of the Arabian Peninsula — around Hormuz in the east and Bab al-Mandab in the west — while Saudi Arabia is coming under increasingly heavy Houthi missile and drone attacks.Brent crude has moved above $108/barrel, and Reuters reported Thursday that only seven vessels transited Hormuz on Wednesday, compared with a 10-day average of 14. At the same time, Saudi oil shipments through the Red Sea port of Yanbu have recovered to about 3.7 million barrels per day, highlighting the importance of the kingdom's alternative route around Hormuz.Iran's ex-presidents call for a dignified end to the war