Iran Expands Oil Chokepoint Threat as Houthis Eye Red Sea Shipping

Iran has instructed Yemen's Houthi forces to prepare to disrupt Red Sea oil shipping routes if the United States attacks Iranian power infrastructure. Missiles and drones have been deployed near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with Houthi forces awaiting orders from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to begin attacks. This represents a coordinated pincer movement by Tehran, leveraging both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to threaten global oil flows. The article notes that on July 13, Yemeni government forces struck Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing, prompting Houthi retaliation with ballistic missiles and drones against Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia. On July 16, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi warned that Saudi oil facilities and infrastructure would be targeted if Riyadh did not cease hostilities. Saudi Arabia now relies on the Red Sea route for 70% of its energy exports, making it vulnerable to disruption. The analysis draws parallels to the 2019 attack on Aramco's Abqaiq facility, which temporarily removed 5.7 million barrels per day from global supply.