Saudi Arabia is pressing the United States to lift its blockade on Iranian ports, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed “Arab officials”.
Riyadh’s concern, per the report, is that the blockade could push Iran to further escalation instead of negotiations, and could result in the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.
“President Trump has been clear that he wants the Strait of Hormuz to be fully open to facilitate the free flow of energy,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said this week, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal. “The administration is in frequent contact with our Gulf allies, who the President is helping by ensuring that Iran cannot extort the United States or any other country.”
It appears, from the report, that at least one ally is quite concerned, however. Saudi Arabia has redirected its oil export flows from its east coast and Hormuz to the west coast and the Red Sea, but if the Yemeni Houthis close Bab el-Mandeb, those flows would be sapped as well.
“If Iran does want to shut down Bab al-Mandeb, the Houthis are the obvious partner to do it, and their response to the Gaza conflict demonstrates that they have the capacity to do it,” Adam Baron, a fellow at liberal think tank New America, told the WSJ.
The Houthis closed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait two years ago, redirecting global trade flows around Africa, which added to transportation costs and pushed oil prices higher, contributing to already concerning inflationary trends.
Bab el-Mandeb returned to the focus of analysts’ attention after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz first, as an alternative route for at least some oil flows (Saudi), and second, as a weak spot in the region that could also be closed, as noted by New America’s Baron.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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