Saudi Arabia Urges US To End Iran Blockade as Fears Of Wider Oil Crisis Grow

The US-Israel conflict with Iran, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has disrupted a long-standing balance among Middle Eastern oil and gas producers. Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Gulf, is reportedly concerned that President Donald Trump’s decision to block Iranian ports could worsen the crisis.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Riyadh is urging the Trump administration to end the blockade and return to talks. Arab officials said Saudi leaders fear the move could prompt Tehran to disrupt other key shipping routes.

Washington’s decision to halt Iranian shipping through the Strait is aimed at increasing pressure on Iran’s weakened economy. However, Saudi Arabia has reportedly warned that Iran could retaliate by targeting the Bab al-Mandeb, a vital Red Sea chokepoint for the kingdom’s remaining oil exports.

After six weeks of conflict, Tehran has shown both the ability and willingness to close major waterways and strike infrastructure across the region. This has changed the security outlook for neighbouring states and threatened Gulf countries’ long-term energy plans.

Despite the disruption, Saudi Arabia has restored oil exports to pre-war levels of around seven million barrels a day by sending crude across the desert to the Red Sea while Hormuz remained blocked. Riyadh now fears those supplies could be at risk if the Red Sea route is also closed.

Much of the coastline near Bab al-Mandeb is controlled by the Houthis in Yemen, who are backed by Iran. During the Gaza conflict, they severely disrupted shipping there. Arab officials now say Tehran is pressuring them to close the route again.

Adam Baron, a Yemen expert at the Washington-based New America institute, told The Wall Street Journal: “If Iran wants to shut down Bab al-Mandeb, the Houthis are the most obvious partner. Their actions during the Gaza conflict showed they have the means to do so.”

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the US blockade of Iranian ports could lead Tehran to close the Red Sea gateway.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a foreign policy adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, wrote on social media on April 5 that Tehran views Bab al-Mandeb “in the same way it views Hormuz”. He added that if the White House repeated its “mistakes”, it would quickly see how global energy flows and trade could be disrupted.

On Monday, Iran also warned neighbouring states that their maritime security would be threatened if the US interfered with Iranian shipping routes.

“If the security of Iran’s ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman will be safe,” Iran’s armed forces said in a statement carried by IRIB News.

The conflict has exposed the vulnerability of West Asian energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia’s opposition to the blockade also highlights the limits of US efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies usually pass.

Iran’s control of the Strait has already halted about 13 million barrels of daily oil exports, pushing futures prices above $100 a barrel.

The US blockade took effect on Monday, with the White House insisting Gulf allies support the move.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said: “President Trump has made clear that he wants the Strait of Hormuz fully open to guarantee the free flow of energy. The administration remains in close contact with our Gulf allies, whom the President is supporting by ensuring Iran cannot extort the United States or any other country.”

Gulf States and the Iran Dilemma

The six-week conflict has exposed deep tensions between Iran and its regional neighbours, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq, all close US partners. For years, these states avoided direct confrontation with Tehran, knowing conflict would damage shared economic interests. That fragile understanding has now collapsed.

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the first in history, has delivered a major shock to the region and the global economy.

While Gulf states do not want the conflict to end with Iran controlling the waterway that underpins their economies, several governments, including Saudi Arabia, are reportedly urging the US to seek a diplomatic solution and restart negotiations.