# Bab el-Mandeb strait

Type: geographical chokepoint

Source: Supply Chain Intelligence Brief — https://getsupplybrief.com/entity/bab-el-mandeb-strait-geographical-chokepoint
Canonical HTML page: https://getsupplybrief.com/entity/bab-el-mandeb-strait-geographical-chokepoint

## Timeline

- **2026-07-16**: Houthis Prepare Red Sea Closure, IRGC Oversight Confirmed — Reports emerge that Iran instructed the Houthis to close Bab el-Mandeb in response. Houthis deploy missiles and drones near the strait, with IRGC officers stationed in Yemen to control the operation.
- **2026-07-16**: Houthis Fire Missiles at Saudi Arabia — Demonstrating regional escalation, the Houthis launch ballistic missiles at Saudi territory, broadening the conflict.
- **2026-07-14**: Trump Threatens Attack on Iranian Power Infrastructure — President Trump warns the U.S. may strike Iran's power grid, escalating the conflict and prompting Iran's retaliatory threat.
- **2026-04-04**: Market Reaction — Global oil prices surge 5% in response to the threats, highlighting immediate economic impacts.
- **2026-04-03**: Ghalibaf's Social Media Post — Iran's Parliament Speaker hints at targeting Bab el-Mandeb Strait and questions shipment volumes, amid ongoing Hormuz blockade.
- **2026-04-03**: Launch of Wave 93 Strikes — Iran and allied forces execute retaliatory military strikes on Israeli targets, escalating regional tensions.

## Recent coverage (2 stories)

### 27% of global oil transit at risk as Iran readies Red Sea block closure
2026-07-16 17:19:29 · Sentiment: Very Bearish · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 2

The threat to close Bab el-Mandeb, combined with an already shut Hormuz, could choke off all Middle East oil exports, sparking a logistics nightmare. Shipping routes, insurance costs, and global trade flows face unprecedented disruption.
Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/iran-houthi-red-sea-threat-supply-chain

### Iran Threatens Bab el-Mandeb, Disrupting 10% of Global Shipments
2026-04-04 02:08:54 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 8/10 · Sources: 4

Iran's potential blockade expansion to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could severely disrupt global supply chains, forcing reroutes that add 15-20% to logistics costs and delay critical goods like oil and wheat. Logistics firms must prepare for heightened vulnerabilities in procurement and manufacturing, as this escalation highlights the fragility of key maritime routes amid ongoing conflicts.
Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/supply-chain-threat-iran-bab-el-mandeb

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