Iran has asked Yemen's Houthi group to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States targets Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday, raising the prospect of fresh disruption to global energy supplies.
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The proposal has been discussed within Iran's leadership, and the message has been conveyed to the Houthis, two senior Iranian officials and a regional source familiar with the matter said, as cited by Reuters.
The sources said the Houthis were recently informed of Tehran's request.
A source close to the Houthis said the group has completed preparations to target shipping by deploying missiles and drones near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea. The weapons have been positioned in Yemen's highlands overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden, with the group awaiting orders to launch attacks.
Any disruption at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would further strain global energy supplies following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the broader risks of an escalating regional conflict.
Representatives of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) already in Yemen will decide when to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to a source close to the Houthi movement, as cited by Reuters.
A significant share of Gulf oil has been rerouted to the Red Sea through a Saudi pipeline, with the waterway now carrying about 7 per cent of global energy supplies.
During the Gaza war, Houthi attacks on commercial shipping forced major shipping companies to divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing transit times and costs.
Saudi Arabia also routes about 70 per cent of its energy exports through its Red Sea port of Yanbu, meaning any disruption to that route could have a major impact on global oil markets.
The conflict began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy corridor that previously handled about one-fifth of global energy supplies.
Tensions have escalated since a fragile June truce between Tehran and Washington collapsed, renewing fears of a broader conflict and threatening energy flows through the vital waterway.
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