Houthi Naval Blockade of Saudi Tankers Threatens India's Oil Imports

Yemen's Houthi movement (formally Ansar Allah) is a Zaidi Shia armed group that controls large swathes of northwestern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, following a decade-long civil war against the internationally recognised government backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The conflict is a central theatre of the broader Iran–Saudi Arabia rivalry, with Tehran deploying its doctrine of the 'Axis of Resistance' — a network of non-state armed groups used to project regional influence — to arm, train, and direct the Houthis. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), specifically its Quds Force, is the primary instrument for this support, supplying ballistic missile components, Shahed-series drone technology, and tactical training.

The Red Sea and its southern gateway, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, form one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. Roughly 12–15% of global trade and a substantial share of oil and LNG shipments transit this corridor annually. Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in this corridor — which intensified following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict — had already forced major shipping lines to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, raising freight costs significantly. The Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, is the other critical chokepoint for Gulf oil exports; when both are simultaneously threatened, the consequences for global energy markets are severe.