Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if US hits power network: Reuters
Iran is signaling it may widen pressure on global shipping, with the waterway carrying about 7% of global energy supplies, analysts said.
- On Thursday, sources told Reuters that Iran asked the Houthi movement to prepare to close the Red Sea shipping route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, posing a potent threat to global energy supplies.
- Escalating regional tensions follow the collapse of a June truce between Tehran and Washington, while Houthis recently broke a four-year truce with Saudi Arabia, firing missiles after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport on Monday.
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps representatives stationed in Yemen will control the closure decision, while the threatened waterway carries around 7% of global energy supplies and 70% of Saudi energy exports through the port of Yanbu.
- Closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could push oil prices to $200 per barrel, as Iran aims to widen conflict beyond the Persian Gulf and increase economic pressure on Washington and its allies.
- Middle East analyst Fawaz Gerges said, "Iran is willing to go all the way," signaling Tehran's strategy to threaten multiple chokepoints, while former peace negotiator Dennis Ross warns Washington faces challenges altering Tehran's calculus to return to negotiations.
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Tehran has already transmitted the request to the Yemeni rebel group, which would have deployed missiles and drones near the Strait
Any closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait would have a devastating impact on the global economy. This would force ships to detour around the southern tip of Africa for weeks, increasing the cost of oil transportation. It's worth noting that both straits in the region, Bab al-Mandeb and Hormuz, have never closed at the same time. However, this time, such a situation appears likely.
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After Hormuz, Iran turns to Red Sea gateway
Having choked off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is now signaling 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
Iran reportedly directs Houthis to prepare Red Sea closure if US targets power infrastructure
Iran has reportedly instructed Yemen’s Houthi movement to be prepared to shut down the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical gateway to the Red Sea, if the United States launches strikes on Iran’s power infrastructure, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The directive was discussed within Iran’s leadership and communicated to the Houthis, two […] Iran reportedly directs Houthis to prepare Red Sea closure if US targets power infrastru…
Iran war LIVE updates: Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea route if US strikes escalate
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