Ansar Allah Seizes Mokha and Perim, Shutting 745-Mile Saudi Oil Pipeline
Updated
Updated · Jacobin magazine · Sep 15
Ansar Allah Seizes Mokha and Perim, Shutting 745-Mile Saudi Oil Pipeline
3 articles · Updated · Jacobin magazine · Sep 15
Summary
September 9-11 saw Ansar Allah capture Yemen’s Red Sea port of Mokha and then Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, giving the group a new platform to pressure Saudi Arabia and blockade Israel.
That advance was followed by the shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s 745-mile East-West pipeline, which carries 4 million to 5 million barrels a day to Red Sea terminals; Brent crude jumped to $108 and later eased to about $102.
Fighting is still spreading inland, with roughly 500 government troops confirmed dead and 1,500 injured as battles continue in Al Jawf, Marib and around Taiz.
The offensive grew out of months of stalemate in Yemen’s frozen civil war, with Ansar Allah exploiting divisions among Saudi-backed rivals while facing pressure from Iran to escalate against Saudi territory.
Control of Mokha, Perim and nearby coastline strengthens Ansar Allah’s grip on the 17-mile Bab al-Mandeb choke point, expanding its leverage over shipping, smuggling routes and regional oil flows.
As twin chokepoints in the Middle East face severe disruptions, how high will global diesel prices surge before the global supply chain breaks?
With Iran reportedly down to a two-month gasoline supply, could a domestic fuel crisis force Tehran into negotiations or spark unprecedented retaliation?
If millions of barrels of oil are trapped at sea, could this unprecedented blockade accidentally accelerate the global transition away from fossil fuels?