Houthi Blockade of Bab el-Mandeb: Tanker Attack Kills 4 Crew, 2 Rescuers

Published Aug 12, 11:44 PM UTC

On August 11, 2026, Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked the Tanzania-flagged tanker Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing four crew members (three Pakistani, one Indonesian) and two Yemeni rescue workers. This marks the first fatalities from Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in over a year. The Houthis have declared a blockade on Saudi-linked vessels in the strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. The attack severely pressures Saudi Arabia, which relies on the Bab el-Mandeb as an alternative route for oil exports due to ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthi campaign, previously targeting Israeli-linked ships, now focuses on Saudi Arabia, threatening global oil supplies and trade routes. The incident demonstrates that the Houthi blockade is real and effective, as shipowners and insurers deem the passage too risky.