Iran signals Bab el Mandeb threat
Tehran warns of wider maritime pressure
Iran’s top parliamentary speaker signalled the possibility of widening maritime pressure on states he called adversaries by suggesting the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait could be closed to certain vessels, following Tehran’s earlier restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. Mohammad‑Baqer Qalibaf’s post asked which countries and companies account for the largest shares of oil, LNG, wheat, rice and fertilizer transiting Bab el‑Mandeb, highlighting the strait’s strategic importance.
Iran says its closure of Hormuz to vessels linked to its opponents has already strained adversaries by disrupting energy flows; Tehran also cites Operation True Promise 4—its campaign of missile, drone and naval strikes—as part of a broader response to what it describes as US‑Israeli aggression. Yemen’s armed factions have joined the confrontation and have previously targeted vessels tied to Israel, with some Yemeni leaders saying closing Bab el‑Mandeb remains an option.
Analysts and cited figures underscore the corridor’s global economic weight: more than eight million barrels of oil and dozens of LNG carriers pass daily, and a large share of maritime wheat, rice and fertilizers moves through the route; about 40% of Asia‑Europe trade traverses it.
