Houthis threaten to attack shipping tankers if they use Saudi Arabian ports on Red Sea

The Bab el-Mandeb strait, where Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis are attempting a blockade. Photograph: Reuters View image in fullscreen The Bab el-Mandeb strait, where Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis are attempting a blockade. Photograph: Reuters Houthis threaten to attack shipping tankers if they use Saudi Arabian ports on Red Sea Warning to shipping companies, on top of Iran’s chokehold on strait of Hormuz, may severely affect Saudi oil exports Middle East crisis live – latest updates Yemen’s Iranian-aligned Houthis have warned shipping companies that their tankers risk being attacked if they use Saudi Arabian ports, as the militia moved quickly to enforce a blockade announced the previous day. The Houthi warning for the Red Sea, coming on top of Iran’s threat to shipping on the other side of the Arabian peninsular in the Gulf, could affect the substantial Saudi oil exports that have so far been unscathed by the months-long conflict and deepen the rapidly escalating crisis in the region. Underlining how seriously the Houthi threat is being taken, two oil tankers which had loaded Saudi crude ⁠earlier this week for China and India made U-turns on Tuesday away from Houthi-controlled coast at the mouth of the Red Sea and headed towards the Suez canal. The Houthis claimed six ships had changed course. Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US would “​just have to ​take ‌care ​of ​business” if the Houthis followed through on their threats. “You know, we’ve done that with the Houthis before, and we haven’t heard from them in a while since we did what we did originally,” he said at White House meeting with the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun. The Houthi threat came as diplomats sought to salvage the collapsed interim deal between Iran and the US even as both countries continued to launch attacks in a 10th day of renewed fighting, including a visit by the Iranian interior minister, Eskandar Momeni, to Pakistan, an important mediator in the conflict. View image in fullscreen Yemenis take to the streets in Sana’a to protest against Saudi Arabia’s military action in north Yemen. Photograph: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images Sources suggested that behind the scenes there were indications that both sides might be seeking a way out of the latest round of intensive strikes The news site Axios suggested that the Trump administration was weighing whether to escalate the conflict further or to seek a 10-day ceasefire to create the space for a new round of talks. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said Washington remained open to negotiating with Iran but that “it has to be real”. 9:57 US troops killed: has Trump lost control of Iran war? - The Latest The Houthis control ⁠northern Yemen , including territory along the Bab el-Mandeb, the strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. While the Houthis have not formally announced the closure of the waterway, as some had feared might happen, the militia group’s threat to vessels using Saudi ports has raised serious questions over th