Watch: How the Houthis are threatening another oil route
Saudi Arabia's strategy to bypass Hormuz is facing a fresh test as renewed attacks near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait raise concerns over global energy security and trade.
When the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted, countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq faced the greatest impact because most of their oil exports depended on the waterway. Oman, whose coastline lies outside Hormuz, remained relatively insulated. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, was able to cushion the impact by relying on its East-West Pipeline, which transports crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing Hormuz.
However, the latest Houthi attacks have exposed a new vulnerability: avoiding Hormuz does not eliminate maritime risk. Tankers leaving Yanbu must still transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, demonstrating that Saudi Arabia's alternative export route is no longer beyond the reach of the regional conflict.
But it’s not limited to Saudi Arabia only; like the Strait of Hormuz, the stakes at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are global. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the waterway carried "8.7% of global seaborne trade" in 2023, including "20% of global container trade" and "13% of global crude oil shipments".
India Today’s Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team analysed media reports, official documents and shipping data to assess what the latest Houthi attacks could mean for the region and the wider world if another strategic maritime chokepoint, alongside the Strait of Hormuz, faces prolonged disruption and uncertainty.
Iran-backed Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthis and designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on the Saudi-flagged oil tankers Encelia and Layla on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia confirmed the attack on Encelia, with state news agency SPA quoting a source at the General Authority for Transport as saying the strike "resulted in a fire in the bow of the ship," while "all its crew members" remained safe. Authorities said necessary measures had been taken to secure the vessel and protect the marine environment.
The latest attack comes months after Reuters reported that Iran had instructed the Houthis to prepare to target the Bab al-Mandeb Strait if the United States attacked Iran's power infrastructure.
The timing is particularly significant for Saudi Arabia. As security risks around the Strait of Hormuz have increased, the kingdom has increasingly relied on its East-West Pipeline to transport crude from its eastern oilfields to the Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu, allowing shipments to bypass Hormuz altogether.
However, avoiding Hormuz does not eliminate maritime risk.
Tankers loading crude at Yanbu and heading towards Asian markets must still transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait before entering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) describes Bab al-Mandeb as "a strategic route for oil and natural gas shipments" connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. According to the agency, "about 4.2 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products" transited the strait during the first half of 2025, roughly half the volume recorded in 2023 after Houthi attacks prompted many shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea.
The EIA says many operators instead diverted ships "around the southern tip of Africa (the Cape of Good Hope)," significantly increasing voyage distances and transit times.
While the latest attacks have reignited concerns over security in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, no official post-attack shipping data are yet available to show whether vessel traffic has declined further or begun to recover.
Reacting to the recent attacks, US President Donald Trump warned that if the Houthis strike again, the United States would hold Iran responsible, saying the Houthis are "a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran," and that "major military punishment" would be inflicted on both Iran and the Houthis.
Any sustained disruption at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait could once again force ships to reroute around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the diversion adds "about 2,700 nautical miles" and "approximately two weeks" to voyages between Saudi Arabia and Europe, pushing up fuel consumption, insurance costs and freight rates while delaying cargo deliveries.
The renewed attacks underscore how a conflict centred on Iran is increasingly threatening the region's two most important maritime gateways. With uncertainty persisting around the Strait of Hormuz and security concerns resurfacing at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the risks now extend well beyond the battlefield to global shipping, energy markets and supply chains.
When the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted, countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq faced the greatest impact because most of their oil exports depended on the waterway. Oman, whose coastline lies outside Hormuz, remained relatively insulated. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, was able to cushion the impact by relying on its East-West Pipeline, which transports crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing Hormuz.
However, the latest Houthi attacks have exposed a new vulnerability: avoiding Hormuz does not eliminate maritime risk. Tankers leaving Yanbu must still transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, demonstrating that Saudi Arabia's alternative export route is no longer beyond the reach of the regional conflict.
But it’s not limited to Saudi Arabia only; like the Strait of Hormuz, the stakes at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are global. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the waterway carried "8.7% of global seaborne trade" in 2023, including "20% of global container trade" and "13% of global crude oil shipments".
India Today’s Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team analysed media reports, official documents and shipping data to assess what the latest Houthi attacks could mean for the region and the wider world if another strategic maritime chokepoint, alongside the Strait of Hormuz, faces prolonged disruption and uncertainty.
Iran-backed Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthis and designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on the Saudi-flagged oil tankers Encelia and Layla on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia confirmed the attack on Encelia, with state news agency SPA quoting a source at the General Authority for Transport as saying the strike "resulted in a fire in the bow of the ship," while "all its crew members" remained safe. Authorities said necessary measures had been taken to secure the vessel and protect the marine environment.
The latest attack comes months after Reuters reported that Iran had instructed the Houthis to prepare to target the Bab al-Mandeb Strait if the United States attacked Iran's power infrastructure.
The timing is particularly significant for Saudi Arabia. As security risks around the Strait of Hormuz have increased, the kingdom has increasingly relied on its East-West Pipeline to transport crude from its eastern oilfields to the Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu, allowing shipments to bypass Hormuz altogether.
However, avoiding Hormuz does not eliminate maritime risk.
Tankers loading crude at Yanbu and heading towards Asian markets must still transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait before entering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) describes Bab al-Mandeb as "a strategic route for oil and natural gas shipments" connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. According to the agency, "about 4.2 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products" transited the strait during the first half of 2025, roughly half the volume recorded in 2023 after Houthi attacks prompted many shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea.
The EIA says many operators instead diverted ships "around the southern tip of Africa (the Cape of Good Hope)," significantly increasing voyage distances and transit times.
While the latest attacks have reignited concerns over security in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, no official post-attack shipping data are yet available to show whether vessel traffic has declined further or begun to recover.
Reacting to the recent attacks, US President Donald Trump warned that if the Houthis strike again, the United States would hold Iran responsible, saying the Houthis are "a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran," and that "major military punishment" would be inflicted on both Iran and the Houthis.
Any sustained disruption at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait could once again force ships to reroute around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the diversion adds "about 2,700 nautical miles" and "approximately two weeks" to voyages between Saudi Arabia and Europe, pushing up fuel consumption, insurance costs and freight rates while delaying cargo deliveries.
The renewed attacks underscore how a conflict centred on Iran is increasingly threatening the region's two most important maritime gateways. With uncertainty persisting around the Strait of Hormuz and security concerns resurfacing at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the risks now extend well beyond the battlefield to global shipping, energy markets and supply chains.
When the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted, countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq faced the greatest impact because most of their oil exports depended on the waterway. Oman, whose coastline lies outside Hormuz, remained relatively insulated. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, was able to cushion the impact by relying on its East-West Pipeline, which transports crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing Hormuz.
However, the latest Houthi attacks have exposed a new vulnerability: avoiding Hormuz does not eliminate maritime risk. Tankers leaving Yanbu must still transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, demonstrating that Saudi Arabia's alternative export route is no longer beyond the reach of the regional conflict.
But it’s not limited to Saudi Arabia only; like the Strait of Hormuz, the stakes at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are global. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the waterway carried "8.7% of global seaborne trade" in 2023, including "20% of global container trade" and "13% of global crude oil shipments".
India Today’s Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team analysed media reports, official documents and shipping data to assess what the latest Houthi attacks could mean for the region and the wider world if another strategic maritime chokepoint, alongside the Strait of Hormuz, faces prolonged disruption and uncertainty.
Iran-backed Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthis and designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on the Saudi-flagged oil tankers Encelia and Layla on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia confirmed the attack on Encelia, with state news agency SPA quoting a source at the General Authority for Transport as saying the strike "resulted in a fire in the bow of the ship," while "all its crew members" remained safe. Authorities said necessary measures had been taken to secure the vessel and protect the marine environment.
The latest attack comes months after Reuters reported that Iran had instructed the Houthis to prepare to target the Bab al-Mandeb Strait if the United States attacked Iran's power infrastructure.
The timing is particularly significant for Saudi Arabia. As security risks around the Strait of Hormuz have increased, the kingdom has increasingly relied on its East-West Pipeline to transport crude from its eastern oilfields to the Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu, allowing shipments to bypass Hormuz altogether.
However, avoiding Hormuz does not eliminate maritime risk.
Tankers loading crude at Yanbu and heading towards Asian markets must still transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait before entering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) describes Bab al-Mandeb as "a strategic route for oil and natural gas shipments" connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. According to the agency, "about 4.2 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products" transited the strait during the first half of 2025, roughly half the volume recorded in 2023 after Houthi attacks prompted many shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea.
The EIA says many operators instead diverted ships "around the southern tip of Africa (the Cape of Good Hope)," significantly increasing voyage distances and transit times.
While the latest attacks have reignited concerns over security in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, no official post-attack shipping data are yet available to show whether vessel traffic has declined further or begun to recover.
Reacting to the recent attacks, US President Donald Trump warned that if the Houthis strike again, the United States would hold Iran responsible, saying the Houthis are "a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran," and that "major military punishment" would be inflicted on both Iran and the Houthis.
Any sustained disruption at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait could once again force ships to reroute around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the diversion adds "about 2,700 nautical miles" and "approximately two weeks" to voyages between Saudi Arabia and Europe, pushing up fuel consumption, insurance costs and freight rates while delaying cargo deliveries.
The renewed attacks underscore how a conflict centred on Iran is increasingly threatening the region's two most important maritime gateways. With uncertainty persisting around the Strait of Hormuz and security concerns resurfacing at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the risks now extend well beyond the battlefield to global shipping, energy markets and supply chains.
