Iran orders Houthis to close Red Sea if US hits Iranian power grid – report

Houthis reportedly instructed to attack vessels traveling through the Red Sea if US strikes Iranian power infrastructure.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran has instructed Yemen’s Houthi movement to prepare to disrupt shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the United States attacks Iranian power infrastructure, according to a report by Reuters on Thursday.

The sources cited in the report did not say precisely when or how the message was delivered. Iran’s Foreign Ministry and a Houthi spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and there has been no public confirmation of the order from either Tehran or the Yemeni group.

A source close to the Houthis said the movement had already positioned missiles and drones in areas overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden and was awaiting instructions to begin attacking shipping.

The source also claimed that members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stationed in Yemen would determine when any attempt to close the waterway should begin.

The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and provides access to the Suez Canal. Blocking or seriously disrupting the route would force ships traveling between Europe and Asia to make the longer journey around southern Africa, adding time and expense to global trade.

The reported Iranian directive is conditional on an American attack against the country’s electricity network.

President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday to expand US strikes to Iran’s power and transportation infrastructure unless Tehran returns to negotiations.

“We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate,” Trump told Fox News.

The threat came after the United States reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports and resumed heavy strikes against missile, drone, naval and coastal-defense targets. Iran has responded by disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and attacking American positions and US allies across the region.

Before the war, roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil and natural gas passed through Hormuz. Gulf producers have since attempted to bypass the strait by sending more oil through pipelines leading to terminals on the Red Sea.

That shift has sharply increased the importance of the Bab el-Mandeb. The Red Sea route now handles an estimated 7 percent of global energy supplies, according to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly redirected approximately 70% of its energy exports through the western port of Yanbu. An escalation by the Houthis could therefore threaten both vessels crossing the Bab el-Mandeb and Saudi energy infrastructure along the Red Sea coast.

Two regional sources close to Riyadh said Saudi officials were taking the possibility seriously and believed the Houthis were coordinating closely with Tehran.

One regional source said Iran was attempting to increase pressure on Washington by demonstrating that it could damage the global economy if the United States attacked critical Iranian infrastructure.

“Anybody with a firing rifle can interrupt the shipping. You don’t have to have sophisticated missiles to interrupt the shipping,” the source said.

Even without physically sealing the narrow waterway, missile or drone attacks could make shipping companies unwilling to enter it. Insurance costs would rise, crews could refuse assignments and vessel operators could again redirect ships around the Cape of Good Hope.

The Houthis demonstrated that capability after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing Gaza war. The group attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea, saying it was targeting ships connected to Israel in support of the Palestinians.

Major shipping companies responded by avoiding the waterway, increasing shipping times and freight costs. The attacks prompted American and British airstrikes against Houthi positions and the creation of an international naval operation intended to protect commercial traffic.

The Houthis have also fired missiles and drones at Israel, while Israel has attacked ports, power facilities, military positions and senior Houthi leaders in Yemen.

Iran regards the Houthis as part of its regional alliance of armed organizations, commonly known as the “Axis of Resistance.” Washington accuses Tehran of supplying the group with weapons, training, technical expertise and funding, allegations Iran has denied.

The reported preparations come as fighting has also resumed between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia after several years of relative calm.

The Houthis launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport on Monday following an attack on Sanaa International Airport. Yemen’s internationally recognized government said it struck the runway to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing in violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Saudi defenses intercepted Houthi missiles, and no casualties were reported. The confrontation was the most serious between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis since an informal truce took effect in 2022.

The United Nations warned that renewed fighting could draw Yemen back into a broader conflict.

“Yemen and the wider region cannot afford another cycle of escalation,” UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council.

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