Two months ago, Riyadh said it could fight the Houthis on its own. Now its Red Sea oil lifeline is coming under pressure.

By E.K KING

Saudi Arabia still had another way out.

As the war with Iran disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s largest oil exporter increasingly depended on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula: the Red Sea.

Now that escape route is coming under pressure.

Iran-aligned Houthi forces have reached Dhubab, a Yemeni coastal town beside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and opposite the strategically important island of Perim, Reuters reported, citing Yemeni government sources.

At almost the same time, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman picked up the phone and called U.S. President Donald Trump.

Not once, but at least twice in a single day.

According to Reuters, MBS asked Washington for help against the Houthis. The United States declined direct military action for now, but offered intelligence sharing and targeting assistance.

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, also traveled to Saudi Arabia for talks on Thursday.

The important part of this story is not simply that Saudi Arabia asked Washington for help.

It is how much Riyadh’s position has changed in just two months.

Two Months Ago, Riyadh Said It Could Handle This

Saudi-Houthi tensions were already rising in July.

The Houthis said their forces had confronted Saudi warplanes attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.

Yet Riyadh’s message to Washington at the time was clear: Saudi Arabia could deal with the Houthis itself.

Saudi officials were more concerned about preventing the wider war from spreading. They urged Washington to increase economic pressure on Iran rather than open another military front.

Two months later, MBS is asking Trump for help.

What changed?

The answer may be easier to see on a map.

Saudi Arabia Now Has Two Straits to Worry About

There are two critical maritime chokepoints on opposite sides of the Arabian Peninsula.

To the east is the Strait of Hormuz.

To the southwest is Bab el-Mandeb.

Before the current conflict, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passed through Hormuz.

With that route severely disrupted, Saudi Arabia has relied more heavily on its ability to move crude westward across the kingdom and export it through Red Sea terminals.

In simple terms, when the eastern door became dangerous, Saudi Arabia still had a western one.

Now pressure is building around that door too.

The Houthi advance to Dhubab does not mean Bab el-Mandeb has been closed or that the Houthis control the strait.

That distinction matters.

But Dhubab sits directly beside the waterway. Together with nearby Perim Island, it occupies a strategically important position around one of the world’s most sensitive shipping routes.

That makes the Houthi advance more than another development in Yemen’s long war.

For Riyadh, it brings the threat closer to the route that has become increasingly important precisely because Hormuz is no longer reliable.

Iran Doesn’t Need to Control Both Straits

There is a larger strategic problem for Saudi Arabia.

Iran does not need to physically control both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.

If Tehran can keep pressure on shipping around Hormuz while the Iran-aligned Houthis threaten traffic at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, two separate energy corridors can come under pressure at the same time.

Even without a complete blockade, the effects can spread quickly.

Ships may reroute. Insurance premiums can rise. Tanker rates can climb. Naval forces have to be moved to protect merchant traffic.

And eventually, those costs reach consumers.

Oil tanker rates have already reached record levels amid attacks on shipping and growing instability around the region.

The International Energy Agency has also warned that the disruption is creating a widening global oil supply gap.

That puts Saudi Arabia in an uncomfortable position.

The kingdom is not simply trying to keep the Houthis away from its border.

It is trying to make sure it still has a dependable way to get its oil to the world.

Why Trump Said No

Washington has its own problem.

The United States is already deeply involved in a prolonged war with Iran. Opening another major campaign against the Houthis would add a new front while the existing conflict remains unresolved.

That helps explain Washington’s compromise.

The United States is not prepared, at least for now, to fight the Houthis directly on Saudi Arabia’s behalf.

But it is willing to help Riyadh find the targets.

Intelligence sharing and targeting support may sound less dramatic than American airstrikes, but they could significantly improve Saudi Arabia’s ability to conduct its own operations.

A senior U.S. administration official told Reuters that Washington remains focused on protecting core national security interests, including freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, while encouraging regional partners to take the lead in dealing with regional security threats.

That leaves an important question.

Will Saudi Arabia use American intelligence support to expand its own military campaign against the Houthis?

The Next Name to Watch: Bab el-Mandeb

For months, attention has focused on the Strait of Hormuz.

Now there is another name worth remembering:

Bab el-Mandeb.

The Houthis have not closed it.

The United States has not opened another war.

But Saudi Arabia’s change in position is a warning in itself.

Two months ago, Riyadh believed it could handle the Houthis on its own.

Now MBS is asking Washington for help.

The crisis at Hormuz is not over.

Saudi Arabia now has to worry about what happens if its other door starts to close.

---

Originally published on Medium on September 12, 2026.