What does the “Houthi” decision to ban Saudi navigation mean?

For the first time since the start of the Saudi war on Yemen in March 2015, Sana’a has imposed a navigation ban on Saudi Arabia. What are the dimensions and repercussions of this step for Saudi Arabia?

Exclusive – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:

For over a decade, the Yemeni-Saudi confrontations were confined to the air and land, although in the years preceding the coalition’s decision to surrender, they included naval operations such as the seizure of an Emirati military cargo ship. Today, after eleven years of the Saudi war, Sana’a is taking a new step in the war by transferring it to the sea. But what can this change in the equation?

The Red Sea is now the most important and last maritime outlet for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries in general, and it is described as a lifeline. Saudi Arabia recently worked to divert all its oil export operations from the Ras Tanura ports in the Gulf to Yanbu on the Red Sea, and it is currently pumping about 9 million barrels of oil per day, after it was around 6-7 million.

Saudi navigation through the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb artery was not limited to oil exports but extended to being a main lifeline for the Gulf, with the route of goods and foodstuffs being diverted through Saudi ports in Jeddah before being transported overland to other Gulf countries amid the ongoing Hormuz crisis.

Overall, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait is a lifeline for Saudi Arabia. Without it, it would experience total paralysis for months and perhaps years, and it may ultimately find itself searching for what can sustain its people.

For Yemen, although its most important ports are on the Red Sea, particularly Hudaydah, the repercussions of the blockade will not make a difference given the continued Saudi siege that has been in place for years. However, the most important aspect revolves around Yemen’s ability to manage the naval battle. Based on years of experience, the Yemeni step will not be limited to merely intercepting and perhaps confiscating Saudi ships that might violate the ban, but will include missile, drone, and drone submarine attacks. This is a strategy in which Yemen has succeeded since 2023 in imposing a ban on the Israeli occupation as part of its operations to support Gaza, tearing apart all attempts by its Western and American allies to break it, in addition to waging fierce battles against American fleets, including aircraft carriers.