Story perspectives

Houthi Tanker Attacks Spur $100 Brent, Bab el-Mandeb Blockade

7/27/2026

Center

Houthis Attack

Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, causing fires and announcing a blockade of shipping through Bab el-Mandeb on 27 July.
The attacks lifted Brent crude above $100 a barrel, its highest price since May.
EU policy chief Kaja Kallas said the Houthis must stop actions that endanger international shipping.
Saudi Arabia rerouted 3.65 million barrels per day of crude to Yanbu via an overland pipeline to bypass Hormuz.

Left

Houthis Blockade Shipping

Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, igniting fires and announcing a naval blockade of Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The coverage emphasizes that the strikes deepen Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, threatening civilians with heightened food insecurity and suffering.
UN estimates that millions of Yemenis need aid this year, with a large proportion facing acute food insecurity.
Hans Grundberg warned further attacks would deepen Yemen’s civilian suffering.

Blindspot

The United Nations estimates that millions of Yemenis need assistance this year, including a large number facing acute food insecurity, after the Houthi attacks and preceding Saudi strikes.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

After the September 2019 Houthi drone strike on Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq and Khurais plants cut output by roughly 5.7 million barrels per day and sent Brent up nearly 20 percent—the biggest jump since the 1990 Kuwait invasion—the kingdom has faced repeated oil-supply threats. The 2024 Houthi blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb mirrors that disruption, forcing Saudi reroutes, prompting UN food-security alerts and renewed EU-US diplomatic pressure.

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Houthis Attack

Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, causing fires and announcing a blockade of shipping through Bab el-Mandeb on 27 July.
The attacks lifted Brent crude above $100 a barrel, its highest price since May.
EU policy chief Kaja Kallas said the Houthis must stop actions that endanger international shipping.
Saudi Arabia rerouted 3.65 million barrels per day of crude to Yanbu via an overland pipeline to bypass Hormuz.

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