The Houthi-led government in Yemen announced that it had forced an Israel-bound ship to turn back as it was sailing through the Red Sea in violation of the warnings issued on Saturday
I think the a major component of the blockade is that one they begin to capture or burn ships, the insurance rate goes way up. Once the ships become even slightly more costly the margins go down. Once it is even possibly unprofitable to use the straight, they will have effectively created a blockade.
Plus, investors are fickle as anything. The slightest whiff of this isn't safe and it's off. They might take a risk on something with a massive potential profit. But many (most?) ships aren't carrying that kind of thing. That's not the kind of risk that investors don't mind gambling with.
I think the a major component of the blockade is that one they begin to capture or burn ships, the insurance rate goes way up. Once the ships become even slightly more costly the margins go down. Once it is even possibly unprofitable to use the straight, they will have effectively created a blockade.
Plus, investors are fickle as anything. The slightest whiff of this isn't safe and it's off. They might take a risk on something with a massive potential profit. But many (most?) ships aren't carrying that kind of thing. That's not the kind of risk that investors don't mind gambling with.