Iran has called on the Houthi movement in Yemen to be on full alert to disrupt shipping at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, if the United States proceeds with strikes against the country’s energy infrastructure.

The revelation comes from three sources familiar with the developments, who spoke to Reuters, describing a new scenario that could cause even greater turmoil in global energy markets.

According to the same sources, the possibility of blocking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has been discussed by the leadership of the Islamic Republic, and the message has already been conveyed to Tehran’s allies in Yemen.

A source close to the Houthis reported that the group has already completed preparations for attacks against commercial ships, deploying missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to positions near the strategically important strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

As he claimed, the Houthis are now just waiting for the order to launch their operations.

A Double Blow to Global Energy Flows

If Bab el-Mandeb is closed, while restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz remain in place, the two most important maritime routes for oil exports from the Middle East will be simultaneously disrupted.

Such a development could significantly exacerbate the already escalating energy crisis, as a large portion of Gulf oil exports has already been rerouted to the Red Sea via a Saudi Arabian pipeline.

Today, approximately 7% of global energy supplies pass through the Red Sea, while Saudi Arabia exports approximately 70% of the oil diverted from the Strait of Hormuz through the port of Yanbu.

The Revolutionary Guards will give the “green light”

According to a source close to the Houthis, the final decision on when to close Bab al-Mandab will be made by officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who are already in Yemen and coordinating the organization’s military operations.

The same source estimated that disrupting shipping would not require particularly sophisticated weapon systems.

“Anyone with even a simple weapon can disrupt the passage of ships. You don’t need sophisticated missiles to disrupt shipping,” the source noted.

Tensions with Saudi Arabia Are Rising

This development comes at a time of rising tensions in the region.

Earlier this week, the Houthis launched missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, accusing Riyadh of bombing an airport under their control, thereby ending the four-year ceasefire between the two sides.

Sources close to the Saudi government reported that Riyadh takes Tehran’s threats very seriously and believes that the Houthis are now working in close operational coordination with Iran.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Ministry of Health announced today that 38 people have been killed and more than 400 injured since June 22 as a result of U.S. strikes in Iran.

According to this report, released at 6:30 a.m. (local time, 6:00 a.m. Cyprus time), “the number of people injured in the U.S. attacks exceeded 400, and 38 of our compatriots died as martyrs,” Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesperson for the Ministry, clarified via X.

Fears of a serious blow to global oil markets

Analysts estimate that an expansion of attacks on the Red Sea shipping lanes would deal a serious blow to global oil markets and supply chains.

Verisk Maplecroft’s chief Middle East analyst, Torbjørn Solvet, warned that if the conflicts spread to energy infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea, it would jeopardize the most important alternative route for oil exports from the Middle East.

The United States has long maintained that Iran provides the Houthis with weapons, training, and financial support through the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” which also includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Shiite armed groups in Iraq. Tehran has consistently rejected these accusations.

Source: ertnews.gr