# Closure of Bab el-Mandeb Strait threatens Saudi oil shipments to Asia — expert

https://mins.news/en/item/55061

- TASS, 2026-09-11 18:52 UTC
- World
- Original: https://tass.com/world/2186407

> Iraqi energy expert Ziyad al-Hashemi warned that hostilities in southwestern Yemen could close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening the main route for Middle Eastern oil bound for Asia. He said about 5 million barrels per day in Saudi exports could be disrupted, causing oil-market turmoil and higher spot prices. Yemen’s Houthi movement has launched an offensive and strikes near the Red Sea and Taiz.

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