Houthis threaten Saudi tankers as Bab al-Mandeb risk climbs
Houthi forces have vowed to prevent Saudi tankers from passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after expanding Red Sea pressure and seizing the coastal city of Mocha, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday, 27 September 2026.
Yemeni government spokesman Brig Gen Majed al-Nazili warned that Houthi air-defence weapons threaten civil aviation over the Red Sea, saying heat-tracking systems can strike military or civilian targets without distinguishing between them.
These Houthi weapons pose a serious threat to international flight paths over the Red Sea and operate using a heat-tracking system.
Mocha and the second chokepoint
Al Jazeera’s Sunday package places the tanker vow after Houthi forces seized Mocha and expanded control over approaches to Bab al-Mandeb in recent weeks — a Red Sea lever while the seven-month US–Iran fight keeps Hormuz disrupted and diplomacy stalled after Trump’s Saturday rejection of Tehran’s reopen plan. Saudi exports via Yanbu on the Red Sea are part of why partners care about both waterways at once.
Why shippers care
Hormuz still dominates crude headlines. Bab al-Mandeb matters because Saudi Arabia has leaned on Red Sea routes — including toward Yanbu — while the Gulf fight continues. A tanker threat plus an aviation warning raises insurance and routing costs even without a confirmed new strike on a named vessel Sunday.
What is confirmed
| Signal | Status |
|---|---|
| Saudi-tanker threat at Bab al-Mandeb | Houthi vow via AJ 27 Sep |
| Civil-aviation risk | al-Nazili statement via AJ |
| Mocha / Red Sea expansion | Recent weeks context in AJ |
| Confirmed new tanker hit Sunday | None reported |
Bottom line
Sunday’s Red Sea update is leverage and warning: Houthis threaten Saudi tankers at Bab al-Mandeb, Yemen’s government flags civil-aviation danger, and shippers price a second chokepoint beside Hormuz.