Iran has instructed Yemen's Houthi movement to be prepared to close the Red Sea oil shipping route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, raising the prospect of a major escalation that could further disrupt global energy markets.
According to two senior Iranian officials and a regional source, Tehran has discussed the plan within its leadership and has already conveyed the request to its Houthi allies. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the message was delivered recently, although it remains unclear whether it followed U.S. President Donald Trump's warning that Washington could target Iran's electricity infrastructure.
Neither Iran's Foreign Ministry nor a Houthi spokesperson immediately responded to Reuters' requests for comment.
Houthis Reportedly Awaiting Orders
A source close to the Houthi movement told Reuters that the group has completed preparations to target shipping in the Red Sea by deploying missiles and drones near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, overlooking Yemen's Hodeidah coast and the Gulf of Aden.
According to the source, the group is now awaiting orders before launching any operations. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints. Any disruption there would compound the global energy crisis already triggered by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, threatening the Middle East's two principal oil export routes simultaneously.
Regional Energy Concerns Deepen
Reuters reported that representatives of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) already present in Yemen would oversee the timing of any move to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to the source close to the Houthis.
The reported preparations come as regional tensions continue to rise. Earlier this week, the Houthis launched missiles toward Saudi Arabia after accusing Riyadh of bombing an airport under their control, ending a four-year truce between the kingdom and the Yemeni group.
Torbjorn Solvedt, Principal Middle East Analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, told Reuters that further escalation would threaten the only major alternative export route for Gulf oil.
"If fighting intensifies and spills over into Red Sea export infrastructure and shipping, it will threaten the only major alternative route for oil exports from the region," he said.
Saudi Oil Exports at Risk
Since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of war on February 28, a significant share of Gulf oil exports has been redirected through Saudi Arabia's Red Sea pipeline to the port of Yanbu.
Reuters reported that the Red Sea now carries roughly 7% of global energy supplies, while Saudi Arabia is routing around 70% of its oil exports through the corridor.
Regional sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia is taking the reported Iranian and Houthi threats seriously and believes coordination between Tehran and the Yemeni movement has intensified.
One regional source said Iran's leadership is seeking to increase pressure on Washington by raising the potential economic cost of the conflict through threats to Red Sea shipping and Saudi oil exports.
The United States has long accused Iran of supplying the Houthis with weapons, funding and military training, allegations that Tehran has consistently denied.
