Iran on Wednesday threatened vessels passing through another crucial global oil shipping route after it virtually halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, is another key chokepoint for global trade and energy flows. Any disruption there would risk widening the economic and security impact of the conflict. The fighting began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iran's leadership and military infrastructure.
A White House official told Newsmax the administration is prepared for Iran's attempts to disrupt global energy flows and is working to eliminate those capabilities.
"President Trump and his national security team were well prepared for the Iranian regime's attempts to disrupt the free flow of energy, and the U.S. military is zeroed in on systematically eliminating the terrorist Iranian regime's ability to do so," the official said.
"Operation Epic Fury is focused on ending Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the future. Once this is achieved, the region will be a far safer place, and the world's energy markets will be more stable and secure."
A source within the Iranian military told the state-run Tasnim News Agency that the Bab al-Mandeb could be targeted. The source said this would occur if the U.S. and Israel launch a ground assault "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."
Trump on Sunday threatened to escalate the conflict by attacking Iranian energy facilities in the Persian Gulf if the regime did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Trump on Monday said he was was postponing the strikes for five days after what he described as "very good and productive" talks with Tehran. Trump also has not ruled out using ground troops.
"The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is considered one of the world's strategic straits, and Iran has both the will and the ability to create a completely credible threat against it," the military source told Tasnim. "Therefore, if the Americans want to think of a solution for the Strait of Hormuz with stupid measures, they should be careful not to add another strait to their problems and predicaments.
"If the enemy has doubts and lacks the wisdom to learn from its experiences, it can test us again, like [they did] in the Asaluyeh incident."
The source was referring to an Israeli attack on the South Pars Gas Field in Asaluyeh, south of Iran. Tehran responded by targeting a key liquefied natural gas export facility in Qatar.
The Bab al-Mandeb is about 1,200 miles southwest of the Strait of Hormuz and is vulnerable to military threats from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
Some shipping companies are considering using the Bab al-Mandeb as an alternate route for oil shipments out of the region.
The Bab al-Mandeb accounts for about 10% of global seaborne trade but has also seen violence in recent years, including incidents in 2023 and 2024 when the Houthis fired anti-ship missiles at U.S. Navy vessels.
Trump has signaled a willingness to de-escalate the conflict, proposing a 15-point ceasefire plan to limit Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear capabilities while providing sanctions relief. But leaders in Tehran rejected the proposal and said the war will end on their time and their terms.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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