1 week ago
9
The strait serves more than a 10th of global seaborne trade.
09:01, Thu, Mar 26, 2026 Updated: 09:28, Thu, Mar 26, 2026
(File pic) The Suez Canal is a key transport route (Image: Getty)
Iran has sparked fresh fears of a global energy crisis as it threatened to block to Western vessels the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic areas connecting Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal.
A source told Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency that vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait could be hit in attacks launched in retaliation to US-Israeli strikes. “If there is a need to control the Bab al-Mandab Strait to further punish the enemy, the heroes of Yemeni Ansarullah are fully prepared to play a key role,” the source said, Tasnim reported.
A military source previously told Tasnim that "in case the enemy decides to take provocative measures in southern Iran, new fronts could open that will surprise the enemy". "We are constantly monitoring and keeping an eye on the enemy front’s preparations and developments,” the source said.
“If the enemy wants to take action on land in the Iranian islands or anywhere else in our lands or to inflict costs on Iran with naval movements in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, we will open other fronts for them as a surprise so that their action will not only be of no benefit to them but will also double their costs.”
Pentagon sources confirmed plans to send thousands of airborne troops to the region to bolster two contingents of Marines already en route aboard amphibious assault ships.
The strait is in a strategic position being near the mouth of the Red Sea, which connects Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal.
It is also located between Djibouti and Yemen, where military organisation Houthis have previously launched attacks on ships backing Iran. The Yemeni Ansarullah movement is "ready to take control of the strategic strait," the Iranian agency also said.
An Iranian ship during a military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz. (Image: Getty)
This comes after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is another vital oil route through which about a fifth of all global oil traded passes. It has been a major point of contention for the United States and Iran in their conflict. The trade route has been blocked by Iran amid the ongoing conflict, sparked after the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on several key Iranian sites on February 28.
The latest news from around the world and more Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Oil prices have already increased recently after the war escalated in the Middle East and they could soar to a staggering $200 a barrel amid fears of further tensions. Brent crude surged to nearly $120 a barrel on March 9 and has remained above $100 since March 13, following a series of strikes and retaliatory attacks on key oil and gas infrastructure across the region.
The International Monetary Fund estimates that every 10 percent rise in oil prices, sustained over a year, would correspond with a 0.4 percent increase in global inflation and a 0.15 percent reduction in economic growth.
English (US) · 