Amid the ongoing panic across the globe with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is Bab el-Mandeb the next target for Iran?
Will Houthis Enter Iran’s War? Yemen Militants on High Alert is the next big question.
Iran’s Fars News Agency cautioned that activating these militias could shut down the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital chokepoint at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, gating Red Sea access to the Suez Canal for global shipping.
If reports are to be believed, Bab el-Mandeb, a critical choke point at the Red Sea amid a potential Strait of Hormuz shutdown, is at risk of closure, threatening another choke another vital artery.
The Houthis, a key arm of Tehran’s “Axis of Resistance,” who had notably sat out the war on Iran so far, just declared their “fingers are on the trigger.” They affirmed readiness “to respond at any moment if developments demand it,” as per Fars News Agency.
How critical is the Bab el-Mandeb?
Linking the Suez Canal, the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and further to the Indian Ocean to the East and the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean Sea to the West, is equally critical as the Strait of Hormuz.
Sitting at the southern tip of Yemen, between Djibouti and Eritrea near the Horn of Africa, the route is key to trade between Asia and Europe, and can be catastrophic if blocked.
If the Houthis, who’ve long threatened and attempted to choke the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, now fully block it, the fallout could rival the ongoing disaster, especially with the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf already affected by war.
With the simultaneous closure of two trading chokepoints, Global trade would suffer a massive shock. These routes together carry about 30% of the world’s seaborne oil and a huge chunk of Asia-Europe maritime cargo via the Suez Canal.
Closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would hit hard, especially since Saudi Arabia recently launched an alternative oil route through its Red Sea entrance.
If Gulf countries join the ongoing war, the targeting of ships in the Bab el-Mandeb.
According to a different report by AlJazeera, a top Iranian military official hinted Iran might extend its maritime campaign to a second key chokepoint. The official warned the conflict could erupt into full regional war, with Tehran holding “many cards to play”, including ramping up pressure on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Earlier, Reuters reported that the shipping titan Maersk had halted Red Sea transits temporarily amid mounting fears of unsafe waters.
“Due to the worsening security in the Middle East from escalating conflict, we’ve paused future Suez-bound sailings via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for now,” the Danish giant stated.
Combined disruptions threaten inflation surges, financial market turmoil, and recessions in energy-dependent economies like India, with no quick alternatives as carriers already reroute amid Houthi threats.
If blocked, it would amplify global supply chain chaos by forcing ships around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding 10-14 days and up to $1 million in fuel costs per voyage.
