# Bab el-Mandeb Type: Company Source: GetYourBrief — https://getyourbrief.com/entity/bab-el-mandeb Canonical HTML page: https://getyourbrief.com/entity/bab-el-mandeb ## Timeline - **2026-09-12**: Precautionary pipeline shutdown — Saudi Arabia temporarily closes the East-West pipeline after the attack. Iraq dismisses a military commander in response, and President Trump suggests Iran was probably responsible. - **2026-09-11**: Pipeline attack and Perim Island seizure — A drone strike hits the East-West pipeline south of Medina, while Houthi forces seize Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. - **2026-09**: September term allocations scheduled for loading — Cargoes under long-term contracts are due for collection, with some buyers facing higher costs via the Sidi Kerir around-Africa route and at least one possibly skipping its allocation. - **2026-08-17**: Asian refiners push back on Yanbu loading — Bloomberg reports at least two Asian refiners have asked Saudi Aramco to load September cargoes from Sidi Kerir instead of Yanbu due to Red Sea shipping risk. - **2026-07-24**: New Explorer approaches strait — The Hong Kong-owned supertanker New Explorer sailed toward Bab el-Mandeb with Saudi crude, following two earlier Chinese tankers that had safely crossed. - **2026-07-24**: Torm Innovation reverses course — The Denmark-owned products tanker Torm Innovation u-turned in the Red Sea after loading at Yanbu, opting for the northern Suez Canal route rather than risk the Houthi-controlled bottleneck. - **2026-07-23**: Merbabu dark transit — The Greek-owned tanker Merbabu exited Bab el-Mandeb with its AIS transponder off, reappearing in the Arabian Sea late Thursday while loaded with Saudi crude bound for India. - **2026-07-21**: Houthi blockade declared — The Iran-backed group announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, escalating threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea. - **2026-07-18**: Kuwait Airport Suspended, IRGC Claims Base Hits — Kuwait International Airport suspends operations due to repeated missile and drone threats. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim to have struck Camp Arifjan, destroyed a radar at Ali Al Salem, and hit Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. - **2026-07-18**: Kuwait Airport Suspended, IRGC Claims Base Hits — Kuwait International Airport suspends operations due to repeated missile and drone threats. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim to have struck Camp Arifjan, destroyed a radar at Ali Al Salem, and hit Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. - **2026-07-17**: Infrastructure Targeting and Maritime Escalation — US strikes expand to bridges and military logistics infrastructure. Iran retaliates by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, targeting US bases, and interdicting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. US Marines board a tanker. Brent crude surges 4%. - **2026-07-17**: Infrastructure Targeting and Maritime Escalation — US strikes expand to bridges and military logistics infrastructure. Iran retaliates by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, targeting US bases, and interdicting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. US Marines board a tanker. Brent crude surges 4%. - **2026-07-12**: Satellite imagery highlights Bab el-Mandeb risk — NASA WorldView imagery dated July 12, 2026 shows the critical waterway as Iran threatens to use Yemen's Houthi allies to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway. - **2026-07-11**: US Begins Nightly Strikes — The United States launches the first in a series of nightly attacks on Iranian military targets, initially focusing on weapons facilities. - **2026-07-11**: US Begins Nightly Strikes — The United States launches the first in a series of nightly attacks on Iranian military targets, initially focusing on weapons facilities. ## Recent coverage (8 stories, network-wide) ### East-West pipeline outage threatens 5M b/d of crude shipments 2026-09-13 05:28:45 · Sector: supply · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 4 Saudi Arabia's shutdown of its 1,200-km East-West pipeline removes the main overland bypass for 4–5 million barrels per day of crude while Houthi forces seize Perim Island at the Red Sea's southern entrance. Logistics planners face higher diesel costs, war-risk premiums, and potential Cape of Good Hope diversions on Europe-Asia routes. Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/saudi-east-west-pipeline-outage-supply-chain-red-sea ### Oil above $100 as war chokes 5% of global crude supply 2026-09-13 05:28:32 · Sector: climate · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 4 The shutdown of the East-West pipeline after an Iraq-origin drone attack removes 4–5% of global oil supply, sending crude above $100 and U.S. diesel to a record $6 a gallon. For climate and energy readers, the episode shows how hard it still is to decouple the global economy from oil chokepoints and conflict. Full story: https://getclimatebrief.com/story/oil-100-war-chokes-5-percent-crude-supply-climate ### 2 Asian Refiners Seek Sidi Kerir Loading as Red Sea Risk Snarls Saudi Oil 2026-08-17 13:21:32 · Sector: supply · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 Saudi Aramco's September loading schedule is being tested as Asian term buyers seek to move crude from Yanbu to Egypt's Sidi Kerir port. The change would route cargoes around Africa, raising freight costs and transit times while at least one refiner may skip its allocation entirely. Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/asian-refiners-sidi-kerir-red-sea-supply-disruption ### Saudi Sept Oil Allocations Hit Red Sea Risk as 2 Refiners Seek Bypass 2026-08-17 13:21:23 · Sector: finance · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 Two Asian term buyers are pushing to load Saudi crude at Sidi Kerir instead of Yanbu, a shift that raises delivered costs and could lead to skipped allocations. The development reprices Middle East crude logistics and adds a new risk premium to Asian refinery economics. Full story: https://getfinancebrief.com/story/saudi-september-oil-allocations-red-sea-risk-finance ### 1 Greek Tanker Goes Dark as Houthi Threats Fracture Red Sea Oil Supply Chain 2026-07-24 12:49:54 · Sector: supply · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 2 A Greek-owned tanker carrying Saudi crude exited the Red Sea with its transponder off after Houthi militants declared a blockade, while a Chinese vessel openly headed into the strait. The divergence highlights a splintering in oil logistics where Western shipowners increasingly avoid the chokepoint, forcing supply planners to weigh soaring insurance costs against detour delays around Africa. Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/greek-tanker-dark-houthi-red-sea-supply ### Oil Rerouting Talks Signal Up to 1-Month Delay for Asian Supply Lines 2026-07-23 12:11:15 · Sector: supply · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2 Asian crude buyers negotiate with Saudi Aramco to bypass the Red Sea after Houthi attacks, potentially adding a month to transit times. Indian refiners weigh using smaller Suezmax ships and transshipment in Europe, while Egypt’s Sidi Kerir port emerges as a Mediterranean alternative. The costly rerouting reflects tight supplies and forces a supply chain rethink. Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/asian-oil-buyers-reroute-red-sea-1-month-delay ### Hormuz Straits Blockade: Oil Supply Chains Disrupted as Brent Jumps 4% 2026-07-18 08:00:52 · Sector: supply · Sentiment: Strongly negative · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 6 With Iran threatening to block all oil and gas exports from the Gulf and tanker attacks mounting, global supply chains face a critical chokepoint crisis, driving Brent crude up 4% to its highest in over a month. Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/hormuz-blockade-supply-chain ### 7th Night of US Strikes on Iran: Oil Up 4% as Hormuz Chokepoint Threatens Satcom 2026-07-18 08:00:37 · Sector: space · Sentiment: Strongly negative · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 6 The confrontation’s shift to infrastructure targeting and naval blockade stresses space-based intelligence, surveillance, and drone warfare capabilities, with oil prices spiking 4% as global energy transit faces unprecedented disruption. Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/us-iran-escalation-space-defense --- This page is a machine-readable summary. Sentiment measures the directional read of each development for this entity, not the tone of the reporting; impact weights consequence, not syndication reach. See https://getyourbrief.com/guides/methodology for the full editorial methodology.