Houthis Target Marib After Seizing Red Sea Port, Threatening 120 Million Barrels of Supply
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 21
Houthis Target Marib After Seizing Red Sea Port, Threatening 120 Million Barrels of Supply
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 21
Summary
Marib and another eastern province have become the Houthis’ next targets after the group seized a strategic Red Sea port city and nearby islands, extending its offensive from the coast toward Yemen’s biggest oil and gas region.
Bab al-Mandab now sits under Houthi control as Iran already dominates Hormuz, tightening pressure on two major energy chokepoints and exposing Saudi exports to further disruption.
100,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen and thousands more have fled to Djibouti, deepening a crisis that already left about 22 million Yemenis needing aid and protection.
Saudi Arabia’s nearly 750-mile east-west pipeline was shut on 11 September after a drone strike blamed on Iraqi militias; if it stays offline for a month, global supply could fall by 120 million barrels and crude could reach $120.
The latest escalation has also revived the Houthi-Saudi war that had largely held under a 2022 UN-brokered ceasefire, while Trump has so far ruled out direct US strikes on the Houthis.
With global trade crippled by Houthi Red Sea control, what hidden tipping point will force a direct international military response?
As drone strikes paralyze vital Saudi pipelines, how high will global oil prices surge before major economies are forced to intervene?
Could the sudden rerouting of global maritime traffic permanently redraw the map of international commerce and energy distribution?
The September 2026 Yemen Crisis: Military Escalation, Global Oil Shock, and the New Red Sea Order
Overview
In September 2026, Yemen’s fragile ceasefire collapsed after the Houthis, reacting to a Saudi-led blockade and airstrikes, launched a major offensive along the Red Sea coast. Their rapid advance captured Mocha and Perim Island, bringing Yemen’s entire coastline under Houthi control and giving them and their Iranian allies leverage over global energy shipments. This triggered a surge in oil prices, forced shipping companies to reroute around Africa, and caused massive humanitarian displacement. Saudi Arabia, facing attacks and economic strain, sought international support and proposed a ceasefire, but the Houthis demanded a full lifting of the blockade, deepening the crisis.