Iran has asked Yemen’s Houthis to prepare to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea if the United States launches strikes on Iran’s electricity infrastructure, according to three sources.
Two Iranian sources and one source familiar with the matter from a regional country, all speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal was discussed within Iran’s leadership and relayed to the Houthis.
The sources said the message was delivered to the Houthis recently, adding that the request had not previously been reported. They did not provide further details on how it was communicated or whether it came after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to target Iran’s power infrastructure.
Drones Near Bab al-Mandab
A source close to the Houthis said the group has completed preparations for attacks on commercial shipping by deploying missiles and drones near the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Yemeni highlands overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden, and is awaiting orders to begin operations.
Any threat to the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait would significantly worsen the global energy crisis triggered by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and underscore the risks associated with any new phase of the conflict.
With the Strait of Hormuz already closed, any Houthi attacks on vessels or ports in the Red Sea would simultaneously disrupt the Middle East’s two main oil export routes, opening a new front in both the global energy crisis and the broader confrontation between Iran and the United States.
The source close to the Houthis also said representatives of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps currently in Yemen would determine the timing of any move to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The war began on Feb. 28, when Israel and the United States attacked Iran. Tehran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which before the conflict served as the primary maritime route for nearly one-fifth of global energy supplies.
Tensions have intensified since the collapse of a fragile temporary ceasefire reached between Tehran and Washington in June, renewing fears of a broader regional war and disrupting energy flows through the strait.
Closing the Strait “Would Not Be Difficult”
A significant share of Gulf oil exports has been rerouted through the Red Sea via a Saudi pipeline, a route that now carries roughly 7% of global energy supplies.
One source said Iran is seeking to increase the potential economic cost for the United States by threatening shipping in the Red Sea and Saudi oil exports passing through it, describing the approach as part of “Iranian strategic thinking.”
“The closure would not be difficult,” the source said. “Anyone carrying a rifle can disrupt navigation. Advanced missiles are not necessary to interfere with maritime traffic.”
The Houthis, however, have not officially entered the conflict.
Source: Reuters
