RIYADH, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday the suspension of all crude oil shipments through the strait of Bab el-Mandeb, Al Arabiya local news reported.
The decision to seal off the strait was made in response to a Houthi attack on two giant Saudi oil tankers passing through the strait in the Red Sea on Wednesday morning, according to Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources.
The attack caused minor damage to one of the two tankers, Al-Falih said, adding that the ban would continue until navigation through the strait could be secured.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in Yemen's conflict in March 2015 to roll back Iran-allied Houthi rebels and reinstate exiled government of President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
