Iran Threatens to Close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait Through the Houthis

16th July 2026

2 minutes read

Iran Threatens to Close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait Through the Houthis

According to sources cited by Reuters, Iran has instructed the Houthi movement in Yemen to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea if the United States launches strikes against Iran’s electricity grid.

According to regional observers, any escalation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would pose a serious new threat to global energy supplies amid the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

Two senior Iranian officials and a well-informed regional source, all speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the proposal had been discussed within Iran’s leadership and communicated to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

The sources did not provide further details regarding how the message was conveyed or whether it followed U.S. President Donald Trump‘s warning on Tuesday that Iranian energy infrastructure could become a target.

On Tuesday evening, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the reinstatement of a naval blockade on Iranian ports, effective from 9:00 p.m. GMT.

In a statement posted on its official X account, CENTCOM said: “U.S. forces have resumed the naval blockade of vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.”

The statement added: “More than 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft are currently deployed across the Middle East. U.S. forces remain on high alert and fully prepared for immediate action.”

During the previous blockade, imposed on April 13 in response to Tehran’s closure of the strait, Iran was reportedly unable to export “a single barrel of oil,” according to Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. That initial phase of the blockade remained in effect until June 18.

On June 17, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding that included several key provisions, notably a ceasefire across all fronts, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement within a renewable 60-day period.

Last week, hostilities resumed following Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The confrontation has since intensified at an unprecedented pace in recent weeks, prompting President Donald Trump to repeatedly declare that the ceasefire was “over,” ultimately leading to the collapse of the memorandum of understanding.