Iran Orders Houthi Blockade of Bab al-Mandeb Strait Amid Rising Tensions with US

Iran has instructed the Houthi rebels in Yemen to close the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait if the United States attacks Iranian energy infrastructure, according to Reuters. This escalation significantly heightens tensions between Washington and Tehran and threatens to severely disrupt the global economy. Iran already enforces a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and now aims to leverage control over Bab al-Mandeb, a critical maritime route through the Red Sea, to increase pressure on the US.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards further warned they would halt all oil and gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz as long as US attacks continue. This move underscores Iran's determination to use energy routes as a geopolitical weapon. Reports indicate internal divisions within Iran between pragmatists concerned about economic collapse and hardliners advocating aggressive control over Hormuz.

Bab al-Mandeb is a vital artery for global trade, with about 20% of the world's container traffic passing through it en route to the Suez Canal, and daily shipments of six million barrels of mostly Saudi oil. Its closure would exacerbate the global energy and commodity crisis, driving fuel and food prices higher worldwide. Iranian-backed Houthis have deployed drones and missiles overlooking the Gulf of Aden and the port of Hodeidah to enable attacks if escalation occurs.

The threat follows renewed Saudi-Houthi hostilities, with the Houthi leader vowing missile strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure if the kingdom intensifies its campaign. Iran perceives control over these straits as a key leverage point against US President Donald Trump, who fears further economic turmoil. Trump is betting that strangling Iran's oil exports will force Tehran to relent.

Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a chemical tanker named ASANA was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen, though Houthi involvement remains unconfirmed. Iran has also urged its citizens to conserve electricity amid US strikes targeting energy infrastructure. Kuwait reported damage to one of its power and desalination plants due to Iranian aggression, prompting emergency measures to stabilize its electricity grid.