Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if U.S. hits power network: report
Iran has instructed Yemen's Houthi movement to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the gateway to the Red Sea, if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, according to three sources. A source close to the Houthis confirmed the group has completed preparations by deploying missiles and drones in Yemen's highlands overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden, and is awaiting orders. The Strait of Hormuz is already shut due to the ongoing US-Iran conflict that began in February 2026. A simultaneous closure of both the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb straits would severely disrupt global energy supplies, leaving the Middle East's two main oil export routes blocked. IRGC representatives in Yemen will control the timing of any closure. The Houthis have also broken a four-year truce with Saudi Arabia by firing missiles at the kingdom, further escalating regional tensions.
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