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→2026 Iran war
==2026 Iran war==
==2026 Iran war==
{{See also|Iran war}}
{{See also|Iran war}}
By the third week of July 2026 the [[Houthis]] announced the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb to [[Saudi]] vessels, [[escalating]] a [[naval]] [[blockade]] in response to the air and land blockade that [[Saudi Arabia]] imposed on [[Yemen]].
Up til mid July 2026, Saudi Arabia was exporting around 4 to 4.5 million barrels per day through the port of [[Yanbu]] on the [[Red Sea]]. Of that total, approximately 2.5 million barrels needed to sail south, crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to supply the [[Asia]]n [[market]]. That route was then interrupted. The alternative, circumnavigating the [[African]] continent, added between 6,000 and 6,500 kilometers to the journey, equivalent to 10 to 14 extra days of continuous sailing. The additional cost, solely in [[fuel]] and crew operational expenses, could reach up to [[USD]] $1.5 million per vessel. The cost of [[maritime]] [[insurance]] also skyrocketed and some insurers refused coverage.
The Saudis refused to [[negotiate]] and issued alerts to their [[navy]] and [[allied]] ships.
The [[European Union]] maintained Operation Aspides, with a strictly defensive mandate: protection of legitimate [[commercial]] traffic in the region, without authorization for strikes on Yemeni territory. In contrast, the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[United States]], which also operate in the area, act under separate commands with missions of an offensive nature targeting sites in Yemen.
==See also==
==See also==