Iran has reportedly instructed Yemen’s Houthi movement to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the strategic southern gateway to the Red Sea, if the United States launches strikes on Iran’s power infrastructure, according to an exclusive Reuters report citing three sources familiar with the matter. If carried out, the move could threaten one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes and intensify concerns over global energy supplies.
Reuters reported that the directive has been discussed within Iran’s leadership and relayed to the Houthis as a contingency plan rather than an immediate order. Two senior Iranian sources and one regional source familiar with the discussions said the Houthis have been told to stand ready to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait should U.S. forces target Iran’s electricity and power network.
The news agency said Houthi forces have already positioned missiles and drones near the waterway, while members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stationed in Yemen would oversee any decision to execute the plan. Reuters noted that neither the Iranian government nor the Houthi movement immediately responded to requests for comment, and the report has not been independently confirmed by U.S. officials.
The reported directive comes amid a rapidly escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran. Tehran has already threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, another critical maritime chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade. Analysts warn that simultaneous threats to both Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb could severely disrupt global energy markets and commercial shipping.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as the southern entrance to the Suez Canal, making it a vital route for trade between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Reuters reported that about 7 percent of global energy supplies pass through the waterway, and any prolonged disruption would likely force shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding time and cost to international trade.
Financial markets reacted cautiously to the latest developments. Oil prices climbed for a fourth consecutive session on Thursday as investors assessed the growing risk to global energy supplies. The gains were driven by concerns that renewed attacks on key maritime routes could further tighten oil markets already affected by the conflict.
While Reuters remains the original source of the report, several international news organizations and wire partners, including The Times of Israel, Al Arabiya, Dawn and other Reuters subscribers, have since published reports citing the same Reuters exclusive. However, as of publication, no major international news organization has reported independent confirmation of the alleged Iranian directive from official sources.
The latest development underscores the growing risk that the conflict could expand beyond direct military exchanges and increasingly involve strategic maritime chokepoints that are essential to global commerce. Any closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would likely draw an international response because of its importance to world trade and energy security.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
