Iran warns Houthis could block Bab el-Mandeb if US Hormuz blockade is not lifted

A senior Iranian lawmaker warns that Houthi forces in Yemen could block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if US actions in the Strait of Hormuz continue, threatening a second critical global shipping chokepoint. The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and narrows to 18 miles at its tightest point, serving as a key route for oil shipments to Europe and beyond. Oil transit through the strait surged from 5.7 million barrels per day in 2020 to 9.3 million barrels per day in 2023, but dropped to 4.1 million barrels per day in 2024 following Houthi attacks that began in November 2023. Iran provides the Houthis with weapons, money, and ideological support as part of Tehran's Axis of Resistance, though experts describe the relationship as a partnership rather than direct command structure. The threat extends an existing shipping crisis that has already forced companies like Maersk to pause sailings and caused Brent crude prices to surge above $115 per barrel before falling to $92.

Iranian threats to block Bab el-Mandeb Strait

• ▪Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, warned that the flow of global energy and trade can be disrupted with a single move if the White House repeats its mistakes
• ▪Iran has no military forces near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Eugene Gholz, an associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame
• ▪A senior Iranian source told Reuters on April 7 that Iran's allies will close the Bab El-Mandeb Strait if the situation gets out of control

Strategic importance of Bab el-Mandeb for global trade

• ▪The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea and narrows to about 18 miles at its tightest point
• ▪Crude oil exports and petroleum liquids transiting via the Bab El-Mandeb Strait increased from 5.7 million barrels per day in 2020 to 9.3 million barrels per day in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration
• ▪The Bab el-Mandeb Strait serves as a key transit route for oil shipments moving from the Persian Gulf through the Suez Canal to Europe and beyond to various worldwide shipping markets

Iran-Houthi relationship and proxy influence

• ▪The International Institute for Strategic Studies described the Iran-Houthi relationship as a partnership rather than a direct command structure
• ▪The Houthi movement announced its entry into the Iran war by firing a barrage of ballistic missiles at southern Israel on March 28
• ▪Iranian naval officials said two destroyers had reached the entrance of Bab el-Mandeb in April 2015, describing their mission as protecting commercial shipping
• ▪Yemen's Houthi militia began targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023 during the early stages of the Israel-Hamas war

Impact of strait blockades on global oil prices and energy markets

• ▪Brent crude prices surged to around $115 per barrel on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 following the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz before falling toward $92 following the cease-fire announcement