Iran has widened its pressure tactics in the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel by threatening to block another critical global shipping route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The announcement came after Iran suspended all exchanges with the United States through mediators following Israel’s expansion of military operations in Lebanon.

According to Iran's state-linked Tasnim News Agency, the country and its allies in the Axis of Resistance have "set their determination to completely block the Strait of Hormuz and activate other fronts, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait" at the entrance to the Red Sea. The move signals a major escalation and has raised concerns about severe disruptions to global trade and energy supplies.

Iran's decision followed Israel’s expanded offensive in Lebanon on June 1. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with the United States would be halted. Tasnim quoted Iranian officials as saying, “Given the continuing crimes of the Zionist regime (Israel) in Lebanon and considering that Lebanon was one of the preconditions for the ceasefire and that this ceasefire has now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon, the Iranian negotiating team is suspending dialogues and exchange of texts through mediators.”

The report also repeated Iran’s intention to target key maritime routes. The announcement immediately affected global markets. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, rose by 6.7 per cent and reached $97.28 per barrel as investors reacted to the possibility of further disruptions in the region.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most important waterways. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, the strait is only about 29 kilometres wide. It lies between Yemen and the Horn of Africa countries of Djibouti and Eritrea.

Often called the “Gate of Tears,” the Bab el-Mandeb serves as a crucial link between Europe, Africa and West Asia. Large volumes of oil, gas and commercial goods pass through this route every year. Saudi Arabia uses the Strait to transport oil to Asian markets. Gulf countries also rely on the route to send crude oil, natural gas and other fuels to Europe through the Suez Canal and Egypt’s Sumed Pipeline.

The waterway plays a major role in global energy security. In 2024, around 4.1 billion barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products passed through the Bab el-Mandeb. This accounted for nearly five per cent of the world's total oil movement. The strait also handles about 10 per cent of global trade, making it one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world.

Experts warn that any disruption in the region could have widespread consequences. Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told TIME, “The Bab el-Mandeb, just like Hormuz, is critical for the global economy. It is a chokepoint through which you have various ships, container ships, oil tankers or carriers that move between different regions or continents.”

The importance of the Bab el-Mandeb has increased further since the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted during the ongoing conflict. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on its Red Sea port of Yanbu to export crude oil through the Bab el-Mandeb route. This has reduced dependence on the Persian Gulf but has also increased the significance of the Red Sea passage.

Raydan highlighted the risks of any future blockade. He told TIME magazine, “Bab El-Mandeb right now serves as a key passageway for the flow of Saudi crude oil that had to be rerouted from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea because of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. If anything major happens in a battlement that’s similar to the Strait of Hormuz, it will have massive ramifications on regional countries like Saudi Arabia that are right now relying on the Strait to ship crude oil specifically to Asian clients.”

Similar concerns have been raised by Elisabeth Kendall, a West Asia specialist and president of Girton College at Cambridge University. She told Al Jazeera, “If you have restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz at the same time as restrictions are escalating in the Bab al-Mandeb, then you really will disrupt, if not cripple, trade toward Europe.”

Previous disruptions in the region have already shown how damaging such actions can be. In 2023, Houthi fighters launched attacks on commercial vessels moving through the Bab el-Mandeb and nearby waters. Industry estimates suggested that these disruptions cost the global economy nearly $20 billion annually between 2023 and 2025.

Experts also warn that simultaneous restrictions in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb could block nearly 25 per cent of the world's oil and gas supply. Such a development would put enormous pressure on energy markets and global trade networks.

If ships are unable to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb, many would be forced to take the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa. A journey that normally takes 20 to 25 days could stretch to 30 or even 40 days. This would increase fuel consumption, shipping costs and delivery times. The added expenses would likely be passed on to consumers, making goods more expensive around the world.

Commenting on the possible consequences, Mario Nawfal wrote on X, “If another key waterway (Bab al-Mandeb) is shut, the Red Sea becomes a complete no-go zone, oil prices explode again, and global trade gets choked even harder.”

Although Iran does not directly control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, it holds significant influence through the Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis have previously demonstrated their ability to disrupt shipping traffic in the region. While the group has not officially responded to Iran’s latest announcement, senior Houthi official Mohammed Mansour had earlier suggested that closing the strait remained a possible option.

The Houthis previously targeted commercial vessels in 2023, saying their actions were intended to support Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. Those attacks forced many shipping companies to reroute vessels around southern Africa, adding thousands of kilometres to voyages and increasing costs across global supply chains.

Whether Iran and its allies will carry out this latest threat remains uncertain. However, the announcement has already triggered concerns in financial and energy markets. With tensions continuing to rise across the region, the world is closely watching developments around two of the most important maritime chokepoints on the planet.