Iran Threatens to Block Red Sea Shipping with Houthi Help

Iran has issued a stark warning that it could block maritime traffic through the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf if the United States continues its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. The threat was delivered by General Ali Abdollahi, a representative of Iran's Supreme Military Command, during an appearance on Iranian state television on Wednesday, April 15.

Abdollahi stated that a continuation of the American blockade would serve as a "harbinger" for violating the current ceasefire regime. In such an event, he declared, Iranian armed forces would "not allow any export or import through the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea."

The general indicated that this action could be carried out with assistance from Iran's allies, Yemen's Houthi rebels. They are positioned to potentially block shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

This escalation in rhetoric comes amid a fragile two-week truce in Iran's conflict, which is set to last until April 22. The first round of direct talks between US and Iranian officials concluded in Pakistan's capital on April 12 without significant progress. The US side reported that Iran failed to provide solid guarantees regarding abandoning its nuclear weapons ambitions. Tehran countered by accusing Washington of presenting "unacceptable demands."

Following this diplomatic impasse, US President Donald Trump announced a blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, which took effect on April 13. In peacetime, approximately 25 percent of all seaborne trade in oil and liquefied natural gas passes through this strategic waterway. Since hostilities began, Iran has initiated its own blockade measures within the strait.