Iran has asked Yemen's Houthi movement to prepare for a blockade of the Red Sea oil shipping lane should the United States strike Iranian energy infrastructure, according to three sources briefed on the matter. The directive, discussed within Iran's leadership and relayed to the Houthis, would extend the energy crisis triggered by Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which currently carries roughly 7 percent of global energy supplies.
A source close to the Houthis said the group has deployed missiles and drones near Bab el-Mandeb and awaits orders to begin targeting commercial shipping, with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps representatives in Yemen controlling the timing of any closure. Coordination between the Houthis and Somalia's Al-Shabaab to secure control of the strait has also been reported.
Saudi Arabia has redirected about 70 percent of its oil exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The UN secretary-general has called for full implementation of Security Council Resolution 2722, passed in 2024 to safeguard Red Sea navigation.