NEW YORK, April 14. /TASS/. Saudi Arabia is demanding that the US stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz and return to the negotiating table with Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, Riyadh fears that Washington’s actions will escalate tensions in the Middle East, prompting Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement Ansar Allah to block the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in retaliation. The strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden in the northern Indian Ocean and is an important stop on the Saudi oil export route.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the Houthis have assured Saudi Arabia that they will not attack its territory or vessels. However, Saudi officials believe that the situation remains unstable. They do not rule out the possibility that the Houthis may start charging for passage through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

The report also pointed out that the Persian Gulf countries do not want the Strait of Hormuz to end up under Iran’s control. Nevertheless, many of these states are demanding that the US solve the issue with the strait through talks.

On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad. The Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, while the US delegation was headed by Vice President JD Vance. Both Tehran and Washington reported that the parties failed to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement due to a number of disagreements. On April 13, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US military would begin a naval blockade of Iran, blocking the movement of all vessels heading toward or departing from the country’s ports.