7 ships have reversed course as Houthis enforce Red Sea blockade

On 22 July 2026, Yemen's Houthis enforced a blockade on Red Sea shipping, and the Washington Post reported that seven ships reversed course. The Houthis threatened to attack tankers using Saudi Arabian ports on the Red Sea. Tankers carrying Saudi crude turned back, and Reuters reported that the Houthis claimed attacks on two Saudi tankers while Saudi Arabia said one was ablaze in the Red Sea. A UK maritime agency received a report of a tanker being struck near a Saudi coastal city.

Reuters wrote that the attacks raise the risk of a new chokepoint in the Iran war, and NPR reported that US and Iranian attacks continue as tensions mount on the waterway. Pakistan warned it will use force to protect vessels in the Red Sea. Newsmax and other outlets described fears about global oil supply and economic disruption.