Iran Asks Houthis to Close Bab el-Mandeb Strait if US Strikes Power Plants

Iran has asked the Houthi group in Yemen to be on standby to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the United States attacks Iranian power plants, Reuters reported on Thursday. Citing three sources, including two senior Iranian officials and one regional source familiar with the issue, Reuters said the idea has been discussed within Iran’s leadership and conveyed to the Houthis. A source close to the Houthis stated that the group has completed preparations to attack ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb by deploying missiles and drones near the strait, which serves as a gateway to the Red Sea and a major route for global energy supplies. The source added that representatives of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps currently in Yemen will determine when the strait is closed. The US military has launched several waves of attacks against Iran in recent days, claiming the strikes are in retaliation for Iranian armed forces targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz and are aimed at weakening Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping. Iran has responded by launching a series of missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and facilities in the region.