Bab al-Mandeb Strait Faces New Security Threats to Shipping

Middle Eastern outlets describe Iran’s Hormuz policy as a pressure tool in its confrontation with the US and Israel, while also highlighting Tehran’s offers of humanitarian corridors and selective access for friendly states. They show Gulf states, especially the UAE, pushing for an international naval force to reopen Hormuz and protect their own export routes. Commentators in the region warn that if Bab al-Mandeb is also drawn into the conflict, Arab economies and Red Sea states would bear heavy economic and security costs.

• •Iran is using its control over Hormuz to pressure countries it sees as backing Israel and the United States.
• •Tehran is offering humanitarian aid corridors and special arrangements, such as access for Spain and Malaysia, to avoid full isolation.
• •The UAE is lobbying for and willing to join a multinational naval force to secure Hormuz and keep Gulf exports moving.
• •Gulf governments fear that any Houthi attempt to block Bab al-Mandeb would threaten their own trade and energy shipments.
• •Red Sea and Horn of Africa states risk economic damage if both Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb become conflict zones.