The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened to shut down “all remaining export corridors benefiting the US and its allies,” Reuters reports.
The warning follows Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent reinstatement of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports.
“Regional energy exports will either be shared by all or denied to all,” the IRGC emphasized in a statement.
Analysts point out that Iran is signaling it could leverage its allies—the Houthi movement in Yemen—to shut down the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea. Such a move would open a new front against Washington and put two of the world’s most critical energy transit arteries at risk.
This narrow maritime passage connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, serving as the primary route for Saudi oil exports and a massive portion of global shipping.
On Monday, a senior Houthi official warned that the group is prepared to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a move he claimed could skyrocket oil prices to $200 a barrel—should Saudi Arabia continue its military campaign in Yemen.
Earlier that day, the Houthis launched missiles into Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control. The strike shattered a four-year truce in the conflict between Riyadh and the Iran-backed group.
The Houthis have already proven their capability to disrupt global trade through the Bab el-Mandeb. Following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, the group began targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, claiming its attacks targeted vessels linked to Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians.
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The latest threat to global shipping comes just a day after the US military announced a fresh wave of airstrikes “aimed at further degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The United States stated that Iran had targeted seven commercial vessels over the past week, leaving nearly a dozen crew members dead, missing, or wounded.
Late last night, the US military reported striking dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along the Iranian coast. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the wave of airstrikes lasted seven hours.
In response, the IRGC declared today that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until “the end of American atrocities.” Prior to the outbreak of hostilities in February, approximately one-fifth of the world’s daily oil and natural gas supplies flowed through the Strait.
The IRGC also claimed responsibility for strikes on what it identified as command and control centers, logistics hubs, fuel depots, and military equipment facilities belonging to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, citing retaliation for the latest US strikes in the Hormuz region.
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The IRGC further claimed to have destroyed a US logistics base in Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah area, and stated that its air force hit an American base in Azraq, Jordan, targeting aircraft hangars. According to the Guard, some of the US strikes had been launched from bases located inside Jordan.
Earlier today, Kuwait’s state news agency reported that a fire at a facility targeted by Iranian attacks had been brought under control. It remains unclear whether this refers to the same site mentioned in the IRGC statement.
Meanwhile, Jordanian air defenses intercepted and shot down three ballistic missiles that entered the country’s airspace from Iranian territory early this morning.
Hostilities between Iran and the United States flared up again last week, shattering a fragile truce brokered in June after months of heavy fighting that claimed thousands of lives.
US President Donald Trump warned yesterday that he would authorize strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges next week if Tehran refuses to return to the negotiating table.
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