Yemen's Houthi rebels announced a maritime embargo of Saudi Arabia on Monday, stepping up the US-Iran war as the rebels threatened the top oil exporter's ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iran-backed group did not say how it planned to impose the embargo, whose declaration came as Iran said it was back to a "full-scale war" with the United States, and as Washington and Tehran battled to control the strait.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis traded fire last week for the first time in years, threatening a 2022 truce that has held despite expiring.

The exchange of strikes was set off when an Iranian plane attempted to land in Sanaa, challenging Saudi Arabia's hegemony over Yemeni skies.

The Houthis' naval blockade, if enforced, could further strain Saudi Arabia's economy by cutting off access to its Red Sea ports, which have been vital for oil exports as renewed fighting limits passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The blockade is also expected to hurt global markets that rely on Saudi Arabia – which produces over 10 million barrels of crude per day – for energy imports.

The rebels declared "a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of 'an eye for an eye', effective immediately," military spokesman Yahya Saree said.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, warned that the threat from the Houthis risked an "even wider" regional conflict.

The Houthis have previously tried to cut off shipping through the Red Sea, leveraging the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint at its southern tip which vessels must navigate when travelling to or from the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp