Saudi Arabia’s brief suspension of oil shipments through the Red Sea shipping lane of Bab al-Mandeb has ended, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih confirmed on 4 August. The kingdom suspended all activity on 25 July in response to two attacks on its 2mn barrel capacity VLCC crude tankers moving through the 20km wide strait launched by Houthi militants (MEES, 27 July). The Saudi-led campaign against Iran-affiliated militants in Yemen has continued for over three years, but Riyadh has little to show for its efforts (MEES, 9 February).