Security · July 2026

Iran has instructed Yemen's Houthi rebels to prepare to block the Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea if the United States attacks Iran's power infrastructure, according to multiple reports on July 16, 2026. The directive, confirmed by several sources, is a response to escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington and could disrupt a key global oil shipping route. The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, have previously targeted ships in the Red Sea during the Israel-Hamas war. A Houthi leader threatened Saudi oil and vital facilities if Riyadh escalates in Yemen. A dramatic speedboat raid in the Bab el-Mandeb strait halted a weapons shipment to Yemen's Houthis.