Israel’s Eilat port presses US and Egypt over Houthi Red Sea blockade

Officials at Israel’s southernmost port in Eilat are calling for American and Egyptian intervention to pressure the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia to end its blockade of the Suez Canal. Due to its proximity and links to the Suez Canal trade, operations at Eilat Port have been crippled by the Houthi blockade.

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the war in Gaza is over, the Houthi threat against maritime trade continues in the region. The Israeli business news outlet Calcalist reported that Eilat port officials have asked the U.S. Embassy to incorporate the Suez Canal trade issue in the agreement brokered and signed by President Trump.

While relations between Egypt and Israel are strained due to the war, the countries have a shared interest in stopping the Houthis' threats against maritime trade in the Red Sea region. Eilat Port officials are therefore also discussing the issue with Egypt, hoping that Egypt and the wider Arab world can pressure the Houthis to end their blockade on the canal.

The Yemen-based Houthis began attacking the Jewish state and international maritime trade merely weeks after the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. While officially claiming to act in support of Hamas and Gaza, Houthi Islamists embrace virulent antisemitism and openly call for the destruction of Israel.

Over the past two years, the Houthis have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel. Eilat has been particularly hard hit due to its location as the Israeli city that is geographically the closest to the Houthis. 

Twenty Israelis were injured last month when a Houthi drone attacked Eilat. Two of the victims were reported as seriously injured. Despite multiple attacks on Eilat, Mayor Eli Lankri vowed that Eilat would overcome these security challenges. 

“This is the third impact in less than two weeks. Even though they’re trying to disrupt our lives, it won’t succeed,” Lankri said.

The Houthis previously announced that they would stop firing at Israel once the war with Gaza ended. However, they have so far not committed to stopping the attacks on vessels that pass through the strategically important Suez Canal. 

The Port of Eilat, which is managed by the shipping company Papo Maritime Ltd, has seen revenues plunge by a whopping 80% and has been largely closed since November 2023. International shipping companies are refusing to call at the Port of Eilat or transit through the Suez Canal until the Houthis make an official declaration ending their attacks on maritime trade.

The Houthis' threats on maritime trade in the Red Sea have also had a severe impact on the Egyptian economy, which is dependent on the Suez Canal trade. Egypt generated approximately $8 billion in revenue from the Suez Canal trade in 2022. In 2023, its revenues from the canal trade rose to $10.25 billion.

However, following Houthi attacks on commercial vessels since November 2023, Egypt’s revenues decreased dramatically to $3.99 billion in 2024. Arab sources revealed that Cairo lost around 60% of its canal-linked income during the period 2024 to 2025. This corresponds to a loss of almost one-third of Egypt’s pre-Gaza war annual state budget.