After Hormuz, Iran Eyes Choking Off Red Sea As Trump Card Against US
Iran is reportedly considering using its Houthi allies to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint for global energy supplies. This move would escalate tensions with the US and potentially cause a massive spike in global oil prices.
Why it matters
The potential closure of major shipping lanes threatens global economic stability and energy security, marking a significant escalation in Middle Eastern geopolitical conflicts.
Having choked off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is now signalling it could play its most dangerous card yet: using Yemen's Houthi allies to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, opening a new front against Washington and putting two of the world's most vital energy arteries at risk.As US strikes deepen inside Iran and Houthi attacks escalate in tandem, analysts say Tehran is widening the conflict and seeking to increase pressure on Washington by extending the threat to global trade and energy supplies beyond the Gulf.Iran has already demonstrated the power of its most valuable strategic asset by disrupting traffic through Hormuz.
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