Iran tells Houthis to prepare to close Bab el-Mandeb strait if US hits power network: sources

Source: Reuters

Iran has instructed Yemen's Houthi movement to prepare to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday (July 16, 2026), introducing a significant new threat to global energy supplies.

The proposal has been discussed within Iran's leadership, and the directive has been communicated to the country's Houthi allies, according to two senior Iranian sources and one regional source familiar with the matter. All spoke on condition of anonymity.

The sources confirmed that the Houthis had been informed of Tehran's request in recent days, a development not previously reported. They did not specify how the message was delivered or whether it followed U.S. President Donald Trump's threat on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) to attack Iranian power infrastructure.

Iran's Foreign Ministry and a Houthi spokesperson were not immediately available to respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Houthi Preparations Near Bab el-Mandeb

A source close to the Houthis stated that the group has completed preparations to attack shipping, including:

• Deployment of missiles and drones near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the gateway to the Red Sea
• Positioning assets in Yemen's highlands overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden
• Readiness to commence operations upon receiving the order

Any disruption to the Red Sea and its Bab el-Mandeb gateway would severely worsen the global energy crisis already triggered by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the explosive risks arising from the renewed conflict.

With the Strait of Hormuz already shut, Houthi attacks on vessels or ports in the Red Sea would simultaneously disrupt the Middle East's two primary oil export routes, opening a new front in both the energy crisis and Iran's broader confrontation with the United States.

IRGC Control and Regional Tensions

Representatives of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) already present in Yemen will control the decision on when to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to the source close to the Houthis.

In a sign of escalating regional tensions, the Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control on Monday, breaking a four-year truce between the two parties.

Torbjorn Solvedt, principal West Asia analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, noted that the flare-up between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia came at an inopportune moment.

"If fighting intensifies and spills over into Red Sea export infrastructure and shipping, it will threaten the only major alternative route for oil exports from the region," he said.

Two regional sources close to Riyadh indicated that the kingdom is taking threats from Iran and the Houthis very seriously, adding that Saudi Arabia is aware the Yemeni group is now closely coordinating with Iran over the Red Sea.

Background

The conflict began on February 28, when Israel and the United States attacked Iran, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz — the primary route before the war for approximately one-fifth of global energy supplies.