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Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement signaled it could close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if Gulf countries enter the war alongside the United States and Israel, raising fresh risks for global shipping routes.
Houthi Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Mansur said on Wednesday that the group sees potential action as a moral obligation if the conflict widens. "We have a religious, moral and humanitarian responsibility that prevents us from remaining silent," Mansur said.
"If aggression against Iran and Lebanon escalates brutally, or if any Gulf country directly joins military operations to support Zionist Israel or the United States, closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is an option we can implement."
The warning came as fighting involving Iran, the U.S. and Israel continued to intensify, with the Houthis positioning themselves for a broader regional role.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a key passage for oil and global trade flows. Any disruption would ripple across energy markets and supply chains. Roughly 9.3 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products moved through the strait in 2023, accounting for nearly 12% of global seaborne oil trade.
The route has gained importance as alternative corridors face strain, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of global oil supply. Saudi Arabia has already redirected around 4.6 million barrels per day of exports through the Yanbu pipeline into this passage for shipments to Asia.
The Houthis have become more active in recent weeks, launching missiles and drones toward Israel as the conflict spreads across the region. In an earlier statement, Mansur said closing the chokepoint remains "an option on the table."
Separately, an Iranian source told Tasnim News Agency that Tehran warned the United States against reopening the Strait of Hormuz, adding that "another strait could be added to its challenges, as Iran is fully prepared to escalate."
Bloomberg reported that Iran is urging the group to prepare for more aggressive action, including a possible Red Sea shipping campaign if the United States further escalates the war, citing European officials familiar with the matter.
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