Iran has threatened to block the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the fourth largest shipping route, if the US war escalates. Bab al-Mandeb is a narrow strait connecting Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. Tehran has already blocked the fifth largest world oil trade route, the Strait of Hormuz. If Bab al-Mandeb strait gets blocked, it would further lead to disruption in the global energy supply chains. About 12 per cent of global seaborne oil passes through the passageway, making it the world’s fourth-largest shipping route. Though Iran does not share any geographical border in the strait, but Iran-backed Houthis are based in the Southwest of Yemen.
Tehran has said that the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen would also join the ongoing war against US and Israel to help Iran take control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait, located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula near Yemen. The Houthis have reduced the Red sea traffic in October 2023 when it began attacking vessels in retaliation for Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Iran’s parliamentary speaker has also warned that Tehran has intelligence indicating “enemies” were preparing to seize Kharg island with support from a regional country in the Middle East. Kharg island is a key Iranian oil export hub that handles the bulk of Tehran’s crude shipments.
