Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea lie to the west of the Red Sea. Similarly, Saudi Arabia and Yemen lie to the east.

At a time when the Strait of Hormuz is being blocked, Saudi Arabia sends a limited amount of fuel to the Red Sea via pipeline and from there by ship to the outside world. 

Saudi Arabia pumps oil through its east-west pipeline to the port of Yanbu and sends raw materials to Asian and African markets through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait of the Red Sea. The material goes to the European market via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. 

The Asian route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, is under the control of Yemen's Houthi rebels. After the Houthis attacked Israel on Saturday and decided to join the war, there will be a disruption to the fuel that passes through here.

Since the risk of a Houthi attack extends as far as Saudi's Yanbu port, ships from Europe will also have problems coming here. 

Major oil exporter Saudi Arabia could be in big trouble. Most of the oil refineries in countries like Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait have been partially or completely shut down by the war.

But Saudi Arabia is keeping refineries running because it can send at least some fuel through the Red Sea. The Houthis' entry into the war has complicated the situation. 

About 10 percent of the world's seaborne oil trade passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The chokepoint is only 16 miles wide. 

The Houthis previously attacked commercial ships passing through the Red Sea in October 2023  during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

As a result, by mid-2024, the United Nations Trade and Development Agency reported that shipping through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean would have fallen to 70 percent.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, crude oil shipments through the Bab el Mandeb Strait were cut by half at the time.

The Houthis could create a similar disruption this time, Fawaz Georges, a professor at the London School of Economics, told NBC News.

“The US-Israeli war on Iran is not a limited war. It is a conflict that spans the entire region,” he said. “My concern is that it is no longer just a military conflict but an economic war that involves supply chains. The global energy system and sea routes are interconnected.”

“With Saturday’s attack, the Houthis have sent a message to the Americans and the Israelis about what can happen next,” he added. 

Saudi Arabia in trouble 

Saudi Arabia would be in big trouble if both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea were blocked. Trade with other countries in West Asia has already been severely affected.

Saudi Arabia was operating at a modest economic level when the Red Sea was open. That trade will also be affected. 

Saudi Arabia is trying to mediate between the US and Iran. Similarly, it has not responded to Iran's attack on it.

On Sunday, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are in Pakistan to discuss taking the initiative to end the Iran war. Despite this willingness to negotiate, if the war continues, Saudi Arabia may also have to counterattack Iran.