The Saudi government said it has suspended oil shipments through the Red Sea after Yemen-based, Iran-aligned Houthi rebels attacked Saudi oil tankers.
“In the interest of the safety of ships and their crews and to avoid the risk of oil spill, Saudi Aramco has temporarily halted all oil shipments through Bab El-Mandeb with immediate effect. The company is carefully assessing the situation and will take further action as prudence demands,” it said.
The Houthis, who have previously threatened to block the strait, said on Thursday that they had the naval capability to hit Saudi ports and other Red Sea targets. Iran has threatened to block another strategic shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia and arch-rival Iran have been embroiled in a three-year year proxy war in Yemen. Iran backs the Shia Houthi rebel faction.
“Saudi Arabia is temporarily halting all oil shipments through Bab al-Mandeb strait immediately until the situation becomes clearer and the maritime transit through Bab al-Mandeb is safe,” Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in a statement.
Kuwait said that it is also considering halting all oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Other countries condemned the attacks.
It was not clear if a Saudi-led military coalition would take additional security measures or impose further restrictions on imports to Yemen, which is struggling with the world’s most urgent humanitarian crisis.
A senior oil source said Saudi Arabia had already beefed up oil security and that all crude vessels in the area are accompanied by security ships.