How would the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb affect world trade

Iran has threatened it could prod its Houthi allies in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea if the US continues attacking Tehran’s infrastructure.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a crucial waterway for global oil trade. Its importance has increased since Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas is shipped in peacetime.

If the Bab al-Mandeb were also to be closed, it would impact more than the ongoing war – it could compound the global energy supply crisis caused by the conflict, deepening the economic turmoil being felt in factories, kitchens and at petrol stations around the world.

Shipping from China, South Korea and Japan to Canada and the United States goes through the Pacific Ocean.

Closure of Bab al-Mandeb could have ‘tremendous impact’ on the global economy

So far, the Iranians have not confirmed that the Houthis will shut the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

However, there is a line of communication between the Houthis and Iranians. They are allies, and the Iranians are saying any decision regarding the strait is going to be made by the Houthis.

But the Iranians are also saying that “if our critical infrastructure, civilian infrastructure, energy and power plants are attacked, then we are also going to respond in kind.” Iran and its non-state allies in the region are going to be more involved in that.

In this equation, the role of the Houthis is critical, because, especially now that the Strait of Hormuz is closed, any closure of Bab al-Mandeb is going to have a tremendous impact on the global economy.

See previous comment.

Armed men take over chemical tanker off Yemen’s coast

Unidentified armed men ⁠are ⁠believed to have boarded the chemical tanker Asana ⁠off the southern coast of Yemen in ⁠the Gulf of Aden on Friday and are in control of ‌the vessel, Reuters reported, quoting maritime security sources.

The small tanker, which had no confirmed flag, had listed the Somali port of ⁠Bosaso as its ⁠next destination, ship tracking data showed.

Earlier, the British navy agency UKMTO said that a vessel was boarded by ⁠unauthorized personnel while transiting east in ⁠the Gulf ⁠of Aden, 65 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Al Mukalla ‌port.

Yemen tanker take over related to Somali piracy, not Houthis: Report

Based on initial assessments, the incident with the chemical tanker, Asana, off Yemen’s coast appears to be related to Somali piracy rather than Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia, Reuters reported, quoting a maritime security source.

The small tanker, which had no confirmed flag, had listed the Somali port of Bosaso as its next destination, ship tracking data showed.

Efforts were under way to assist the Asana tanker and determine the circumstances of what happened, an official with the European Union’s Aspides naval mission told Reuters, which is active in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region.

Houthis ready to follow Iran supreme leader’s orders: defense minister

Yemen’s Houthi defense minister, Major General Mohammed Al-Atafi, has told the country’s Saba news agency the movement is ready to follow Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s orders.

“We confirm the readiness of the armed forces to implement any directives issued by the Iranian supreme leader if the siege on the Yemeni people continues,” he told Yemen’s official state news agency.

He also warned “aggressor countries, particularly the Saudi enemy and those who support it”, that the Houthis have all options available.

Yemen’s government condemns ‘unjustified’ Iranian attacks on Gulf countries

Yemen’s government has issued a statement strongly condemning “unjustified” Iranian missile and drone attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan.

Yemen “considers these attacks a blatant violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity, a threat to security and stability in the region, and a flagrant breach of international law”, the statement added.

The narrative has been used by the GGC, its member states, and Jordan on the regular basis, and shows that Arab countries lack knowledge about the UN Charter and international law.

Blatant violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and  a flagrant breach of international law have already been committed on February 28th by Netanyahu and Trump by going again for war on nuclear political grounds with no approval or mandate from the UNSC.

A threat to security and stability in the region has been existing since countries in the region have engaged in military agreements with alien military powers from other continents, who wanted to be on the soil of engaging countries for their own interest.