Saudi Arabia is reportedly pressing the United States to end its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and return to the negotiating table, fearing that
another crucial shipping route, the Bab el-Mandeb, may be disrupted by Tehran-backed Houthis in retaliation. Saudi Arabia has warned Iran might retaliate by closing the Bab al-Mandeb—a Red Sea chokepoint crucial for the kingdom’s remaining oil exports in response to the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, reported the Washington Post, citing officials. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is crucial for vessels heading to the Suez Canal through the Red Sea, and any disruption there could be of special concern for Saudi Arabia, which has been redirecting millions of barrels of crude oil through it as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. Saudi Arabia has "secured commitments from the Houthis that the group wouldn’t attack the kingdom or its ships passing through Bab al-Mandeb," WSJ reported citing Saudi energy officials. However, there is fear and the kingdom has told the US that the Houthis could enter the war as the "situation remains fluid". Houthis could also start imposing fees on ships to transit, they said, according to the report. US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the American military had begun a blockade of Iranian ports as part of his effort to force Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal to end the war that has raged for more than six weeks. Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at US-allied countries. The US blockade and Iran’s threatened retaliation set up an extraordinary showdown that posed serious risks for the global economy and raised the spectre that the ceasefire could collapse and the fighting could resume. Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict — which began February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran — failed to reach an agreement this past weekend. However, reports suggest that both the US and Iran are considering second round of negotiations.
