Conflits · Houthis block Red Sea · ArchivesUn quart du pétrole mondial est à un détroit d’une perturbationRédigé 7 septembre 2026 à 21:22 UTCRegarderTranscription0:00We begin with a breaking development in0:01the Red Sea. Houthi rebels in Yemen have0:04declared a full maritime embargo on0:06Saudi Arabia, threatening to block the0:08Bab al-Mandab Strait, a narrow choke0:10point through which more than 7 million0:12barrels of oil transit every day. The0:14announcement came late Monday, and0:15analysts warn this could add severe0:17strain to global energy markets already0:19reeling from the closure of the Strait0:20of Hormuz.0:22Here is what is at stake. The Bab0:24al-Mandab Strait separates the Horn of0:26Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, at0:28its narrowest point just 26 km wide.0:31Since the Strait of Hormuz was0:32effectively closed in March, Saudi0:34Arabia has been forced to ship 90% of0:36its crude oil exports through this Red0:37Sea route, primarily from its massive0:39terminal at Yanbu. That is roughly 4 and0:421/2 million barrels a day. All of it now0:44potentially within reach of Houthi0:46attack. The numbers are stark. 10% of0:48global supply has already been taken off0:50the table by the Hormuz closure. If the0:52Bab al-Mandab is blocked on top of that,0:54a combined 17% of global supply could be0:57affected. That means consumers0:58worldwide, already paying over $4 a1:01gallon in the US, will face even higher1:03prices. Houthi military spokesperson1:05Yahya Saree said the embargo is1:07retaliation for a July 13th Saudi-led1:10coalition airstrike on Sana'a1:11International Airport. He warned all1:14Saudi-flagged vessels and oil tankers1:16are now considered valid military1:17targets in the Red Sea. The Houthi1:19spokesperson did not specify how the1:21blockade would be enforced, but the1:23group has a demonstrated record of1:24maritime attacks.1:26Between 2017 and 2022, Houthi forces1:30launched over 1,000 ballistic missiles1:32and 350 drones at Saudi targets. During1:35the Gaza war, they attacked more than1:36100 ships using Iranian-made anti-ship1:38missiles. Analysts say the group now1:40poses a credible and escalating threat1:42to commercial traffic through the1:43Strait. Markets are already reacting.1:46Brent crude rose 1.3% to $89.221:50a barrel. US gas prices have already1:52topped $4 a gallon. Senior Keppler crude1:55analyst Muyu Xu warns that offshore1:57inventories of about 20 million barrels2:00sitting in the Gulf of Oman could be2:01exhausted within days, offering only a2:03brief buffer before shortages begin to2:05bite.2:12The alternative routes are punishing.2:13Rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope2:15adds roughly 2,700 miles to each voyage,2:18sharply increasing shipping costs,2:20insurance premiums, and delivery delays.2:22Every tanker forced around Africa means2:24less capacity reaching global buyers.2:26That is roughly the distance from New2:28York to Los Angeles added to every trip2:30around Africa. The United States2:32currently has about 20 warships deployed2:34in the Persian Gulf, a presence that2:36could be stretched thin if the Houthis2:38follow through on this threat. Seventeen2:40US service members have already been2:42killed in the broader Iran conflict.2:44Meanwhile, Riyadh has given no2:46indication it will halt operations in2:48Yemen in response to the embargo2:49declaration.2:51What to watch now? Whether the Houthis2:53actually attempt to intercept commercial2:55traffic in the coming days, how quickly2:58Saudi Arabia can secure alternative2:59shipping arrangements, and whether3:01diplomatic channels already strained can3:03prevent this from escalating into a3:05full-scale global supply crisis.3:07The next 48 hours will be critical.Lire l’articleChronologie de l’histoireHeyDexLe format court ↗
