Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency has suggested that Tehran may be preparing to widen pressure on global shipping by encouraging Yemen’s Houthi militants to target vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
As per the IRGC-affiliated agency’s report, the development comes as tensions between Iran and the US continued to rise over alleged ceasefire violations and as fighting intensified between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
According to Tasnim, Iran has suspended its indirect negotiations with Washington and is considering expanding pressure beyond the already disrupted Strait of Hormuz.
The agency claimed that Iran and its regional allies had placed “the complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the activation of other fronts, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait” on their agenda. It described the move as an attempt to “punish” Israel and its supporters over ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
The narrow waterway connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a crucial route for oil shipments and international trade moving between Europe, Asia and West Asia, controlling roughly 10% of the total oil flows.
Any disruption there would add to concerns already surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been severely affected by months of confrontation between Iran and the United States.
The Houthis have previously targeted commercial vessels and military ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, disrupting trade and forcing some shipping companies to reroute vessels around southern Africa.
Unlike Hezbollah, which became involved in the wider regional conflict soon after the US-Israeli campaign against Iran began, the Houthis have largely remained on the sidelines of the war. However, Houthi leaders have repeatedly stated that they could intervene if requested by Tehran.
Iran has also warned on several occasions during the conflict that it could use its Houthi proxy to pressure shipping through the vital corridor.
There was no immediate official confirmation from Iranian authorities or the Houthi leadership regarding the Tasnim report.
