Red Sea Region — Ekhbary News Agency
Iran has reportedly instructed Yemen's Houthi movement to prepare for a potential closure of the Red Sea oil route. This directive, conveyed to its allies, would be activated if the United States launches strikes against Iranian power infrastructure, according to three anonymous sources who spoke to Reuters on July 16. The proposition, discussed within Iran's leadership, introduces a formidable new threat to global energy supplies.
Escalating Regional Tensions
The Houthis, it seems, were recently informed of Tehran's request, though specific details on its communication or whether it followed US President Donald Trump's July 14 threat to attack Iranian power grids remain unclear. Neither Iran's Foreign Ministry nor a Houthi spokesperson immediately responded to inquiries. A source close to the Houthis indicated the group had already completed preparations to target shipping near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, deploying missiles and drones in strategic locations overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden, awaiting only the order to proceed.
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Global Energy Implications
Any disruption to the Red Sea, a crucial gateway, risks profoundly worsening the global energy crisis. With the Strait of Hormuz already closed following the February 28 conflict between Israel and the US, simultaneous attacks on both major Middle East oil export routes would open a new front in the broader Iran-US confrontation. Torbjorn Solvedt, a principal Middle East analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, warned that intensified fighting spilling into Red Sea infrastructure would imperil the region's only significant alternative oil export pathway. Representatives of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Yemen, according to sources, would control the decision to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
