Two "throats" under simultaneous pressure? Iran warns the U.S. of possible blockade of the Strait of Mandeb

China News Network, April 6 — According to reports compiled from international media, on April 5 local time, Iran’s top leader’s foreign affairs adviser, Velayati, warned the United States that if it commits “another mistake,” the Iran-led resistance front would respond by blockading the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran warns

According to reports, on April 5, Iran’s top leader’s foreign affairs adviser, Velayati, posted on social media saying: “Today, the unified command of the resistance front treats the Strait of Mandeb the same way as the Strait of Hormuz. If the White House commits another foolish mistake, it will soon realize that with just one move, global energy and trade flows will be cut off.”

Earlier, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, citing sources, said that Iran may take action to close or control the Strait of Mandeb, and that Yemen’s Houthi forces are ready to act in the region.

The sources also said that if the enemy attempts to carry out a ground operation against Iranian islands or the homeland, or exerts pressure on Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through naval operations, Iran will open a new front in the Strait of Mandeb.

As the conflict continues, a member of the political bureau of Yemen’s Houthi forces, Al-Bahiti, had previously warned that the Houthis are considering all possible options to support Iran’s resistance to U.S. and Israeli attacks. If it becomes necessary to close the Strait of Mandeb, the Houthis will only attack vessels from countries that are involved in attacks against Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Two major “throats”

According to information, the Strait of Mandeb connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and is a vital waterway linking the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Indian Ocean. This strait is within the operational control area of Yemen’s Houthi forces.

Agence France-Presse noted that the Strait of Mandeb plays a critical role in global trade and in the transport of oil and natural gas. A maritime security expert at the University of Copenhagen, Bugger, said: “If this route also becomes unsafe, a large amount of Saudi oil will have to go through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean instead, which will extend delivery times and push up prices.”

Analysts generally believe that if the two major “throats,” the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Mandeb, are under pressure at the same time, shipping of goods, oil transport, and so on will face major problems. At present, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly come to a standstill, with only a small number of vessels being granted clearance.

A U.S. intelligence assessment believes that in the short term, Iran is unlikely to loosen its “throat-gripping” control of the Strait of Hormuz. Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, said that “gripping the ‘throat’ of the global energy supply chain is more powerful than nuclear weapons.”

Reuters, citing three sources, also indicated that intelligence assessments show this conflict may instead increase Iran’s influence in the Middle East, because Tehran has demonstrated its ability to affect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Reuters’ analysis said that intelligence further shows Iran would either continue to influence the global energy market by controlling the Strait of Hormuz, in order to pressure the United States to end the war as quickly as possible. The spillover effect of the war has already spread into multiple aspects of the U.S. domestic economy and people’s livelihoods, worsening President Trump’s negative political assets.

On April 3, Trump posted on social media saying, “Give it a little more time and we can easily clear the Strait of Hormuz, get the oil, and make a fortune.” On April 5, Trump threatened again that if Iran does not open the Strait of Hormuz, it will “live in hell.” He also said, “April 7 will be Iran’s power-plant day and bridge day,” implying a fierce bombardment of Iran’s power plants and bridges.

On April 5, the office of Iran’s top leader also quoted on social media the content of the first remarks by the top leader, Mujtaba Khamenei, emphasizing that the Iranian people want to continue effective resistance that embarrasses the other side, and reiterating that Iran must continue to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

On April 5, the speaker of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, Kalibaf, also posted, saying that Trump’s reckless actions are dragging the United States into hell and that every family is harmed by it. Trump cannot gain any benefit from war crimes; the only truly viable solution is to respect the rights of the Iranian people and end this dangerous game.

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