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The world is already facing a huge and serious energy crisis due to the huge tension between America and Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, a very scary and sensational news to global business and politics is coming out. To teach Saudi Arabia a lesson and surround it from all sides, Iran-backed Houthi rebel organization ‘Ansar Allah’ has openly announced to blockade another important sea route.

This announcement of Arab blockade by Houthi rebels has come after a major attack led by Saudi Arabia was recently carried out on Sanaa airport. The Houthis have clearly said that they are going to take this aggressive step in strong protest against this attack.

Bab-al-Mandeb is the world’s most important fuel route after Hormuz.

The ‘Bab-el-Mandeb’ strait of the Red Sea is considered to be the most important and strategic route for fuel supply in the world, right after Hormuz. If this route also gets completely blocked, then there is bound to be panic in the markets all over the world. Just before the announcement of this dangerous blockade, Houthi rebels had also launched a powerful drone attack on an airport in Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have justified their action by saying that the answer of ‘an eye for an eye’ is always given in this manner.

Why is it important for Saudi Arabia like a lifeline?

Due to the ongoing war and tension with Iran, Saudi Arabia started exporting most of its oil and fuel through this route of the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia’s giant oil company ‘Aramco’ exports 70 percent of its oil through the 746-mile long East-West pipeline. This special pipeline allows Saudi Arabia’s crude oil, known as petroleum, to be loaded directly onto ships for international markets without going through the Persian Gulf. It is through this pipeline that oil is transported to the Red Sea, which is why this route to the Red Sea is very important for Saudi Arabia.

Will the prices of crude oil and gas really touch the sky now?

Although the Houthi rebels have not yet clarified how they will implement this blockade on the ground, this threat has increased the concerns of ships and business organizations passing through the Red Sea. History is witness to the fact that Houthi rebels have been continuously targeting cargo ships in the past as well. The southern entrance to the Bab-el-Mandeb is extremely narrow, and if completely blockaded, it would be impossible for any ship to pass through. In such a situation, a very difficult and terrible situation may arise in front of the world.

The dark history of the Gaza conflict and old threats

The latest threat from the Houthis comes after months of repeated attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea during the Gaza conflict. During that time, this rebel group had targeted about 100 commercial ships in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb area. Let us tell you that the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is a strategic waterway that directly connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Iran has also repeatedly threatened during its ongoing conflict with the US that if the US does not stop targeting energy structures connected to Iranian citizens, they will permanently close the waterway.

30 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply is in danger of stopping.

Nasreddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, has bluntly said that the Bab-al-Mandeb strait will be completely closed to all “enemy ships” of Saudi Arabia. He also said that this step is being taken by Saudi Arabia in response to the “unjust blockade imposed on the people of Yemen for more than 10 years”.

According to statistics, about 10 percent of the world’s oil shipments pass through this Bab-el-Mandeb route alone, making it the world’s second most important maritime ‘chokepoint’ after Hormuz. Since the Strait of Hormuz, which controls 20 percent of the total oil flow, is already blocked by Tehran, if this second route is also closed, then there will be a huge and terrible threat of cutting off 30 percent of the total oil and gas supply of the world.