‘Gate of Tears’ at Risk: Iran Threatens This Major Global Chokepoint If US Takes Action on Hormuz

(SeaPRwire) –   A senior Middle East analyst warned on Sunday that Iran might retaliate against a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by directing its Houthi allies to disrupt another critical global shipping lane.

The Bab al-Mandeb — a narrow bottleneck connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden — carries approximately 12% of global oil shipments and serves as an essential trade corridor between Asia and Europe, making it a strategic target for escalation that could further strain global energy markets.

“If the U.S. moves forward with its plan to blockade the strait, Iran’s escalation strategy could require that it ensures Gulf countries cannot export either,” Mona Yacoubian, director and senior adviser at the Middle East Program, told Digital.

“This could lead to additional attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure or even deploying the Houthis to block the Bab al-Mandeb,” Yacoubian added.

Yacoubian’s comments followed statements from Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior international affairs adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, who signaled Tehran’s stance on the Bab al-Mandeb in response to potential U.S. action to block the Strait of Hormuz.

“Today, the unified command of the Resistance Front views Bab al-Mandeb the same way it views Hormuz,” he said in a post on X.

“If the White House dares to repeat its foolish mistakes, it will soon discover that the flow of global energy and trade can be disrupted with a single move.”

U.S. Central Command issued a statement on Sunday noting that the naval blockade would begin Monday and be “enforced against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.”

President Donald Trump also stated in a Truth Social post that the U.S. Navy would block “any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.”

In March, the U.S. warned ships at the Red Sea chokepoint about Houthi attacks.

“The Houthis continue to pose a threat to U.S. assets, including commercial vessels, in this region,” a maritime advisory said of the Iran-backed armed group that controls much of northern Yemen.

“Potential hostile actions include one-way unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks; unmanned surface vehicle (USV) attacks; unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) attacks; ballistic and cruise missile strikes; small arms fire from small boats; explosive boat assaults; and illegal boardings, detentions, and/or seizures,” the advisory noted.

“U.S.-flagged commercial vessels operating in these areas are strongly advised to turn off their AIS transponders,” the advisory stated.

Yacoubian also found in a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report that Iran was threatening to expand the conflict further to the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb, compounding global market disruptions.

“It could leverage the Houthis, its Yemeni proxy, to once again launch attacks on the strategic waterway, depriving Saudi Arabia of its key alternative route for oil shipments if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked,” she added.

The Houthis joined Iran’s war against the U.S. and Israel on March 28 when the group launched two ballistic missiles at southern Israel. Both were intercepted.