Houthi Poetry May Signal the Next Oil Price Surge

The Houthis do not need to close the Red Sea completely to affect the global economy. Creating enough uncertainty to make ships turn away can be enough to push up oil prices.

The Iran-aligned group communicates its ideological and military positions through zamil, a form of poetry often performed over pop music and accompanied by heavily AI-generated video. Repeated themes include devotion to God, support for Palestine and opposition to what the Houthis call the “Devil”, a combination of Israel, Jews, Saudi Arabia, the United States and the West.

A recent composition, “Threat for Threat”, marked the group’s blockade of the Red Sea and attacks on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure. Its message was direct: the Houthis say they are ready to inflict major damage on the kingdom if it becomes involved in the war with Iran.

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The largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market

The group has also used poetry to commemorate earlier operations. Since November 2023, Houthi forces have targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Israel. The campaign reduced Red Sea shipping by 70%, while average freight costs per container rose from $1,660 in 2023 to almost $6,000 in 2024. The International Energy Agency called it “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”.

After a lengthy pause in attacks, the Houthis have again targeted the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and supply routes from Yanbu, the Saudi port on the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The article presents the group’s renewed intervention as a new phase in the US-Iran conflict and a potential warning for oil markets.

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Tell the American alliance: Nothing has shaken me.