Iran and Houthis Threaten Bab Al-Mandeb Strait Closure, Widening Iran War

The Houthi forces opened a southern front against Israel.

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Arab News

Iran and the Houthis threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a crucial chokepoint linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Approximately a quarter of global maritime trade passes through the Red Sea.

The Iranian strategy was described as a complex approach of multiplex pressure.

The Houthis launched their second missile attack on Israel, striking Eilat.

They were operating under a new military command dubbed Al-Aqsa Storm.

CBS News

Tehran publicly took credit for the coordinate strikes.

The opening of a Red Sea front sent oil prices surging over 2%.

With the Strait of Hormuz closed and Bab al-Mandeb under threat, global energy markets reeled.

“Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway through which around 20% of the world's crude oil supply flowed until the war — not explicitly granted permission by Tehran, warning of a severe response for any violators”

CBS News

The Financial Times warned of a chain of maritime choke points extending from the Gulf to the Mediterranean.

Major banks warned Brent crude could exceed $150 per barrel.

The Suez Canal was closed for a month to all commercial traffic.

Western powers monitored the widening conflict with growing unease.

Hezbollah deployed near the Bab al-Mandeb and Somali forces engaged in Aden.

France 24

Trump called for restraint but the Pentagon continued offensive operations.

Intelligence assessments cautioned Tehran was close to depleting missile stocks.