Iran has warned it may expand its campaign against key international shipping routes after the United States intensified military operations and renewed its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
In a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency on Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said regional energy export routes would remain accessible only if all countries benefited equally, warning that nations supporting Washington could face consequences.
The warning comes after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes, raising concerns that Tehran could encourage its Houthi allies in Yemen to target the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another strategic maritime corridor linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Security analysts say any disruption at the Bab el-Mandeb would pose a serious threat to global trade and energy supplies, as the narrow waterway handles a significant share of international shipping, including Saudi Arabian oil exports.
A senior Houthi official earlier warned that the group was prepared to shut the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if Saudi Arabia continued military operations in Yemen, saying such a move could drive crude oil prices to as high as $200 per barrel.
The Houthis resumed attacks against Saudi Arabia this week after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control, effectively ending a four-year ceasefire between the Iran-backed group and Riyadh.
The group has previously demonstrated its ability to disrupt global commerce by attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea following the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023, saying the strikes targeted ships linked to Israel in support of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the US military said it had launched a fresh round of strikes against Iranian military assets it said were being used to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington accused Iran of attacking seven commercial vessels over the past week, leaving several crew members dead, injured or missing.
US Central Command said dozens of military targets along Iran’s southern coastline and near the Strait of Hormuz were struck during a seven-hour operation late Tuesday.
Iranian officials, however, said the strikes caused significant casualties. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said at least 30 civilians had been killed in recent US attacks, while the Iranian military reported that seven soldiers were killed in an overnight strike on the Bampur military base.
The IRGC insisted the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until what it described as “the end of America’s evils.” It also claimed responsibility for attacks on facilities linked to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, a logistics site in Kuwait, and a military installation in Jordan.
Kuwaiti authorities confirmed firefighters had contained a blaze at a site struck during the Iranian attacks, although officials did not immediately verify whether it was the location identified by the IRGC.
Jordan’s military also reported intercepting three ballistic missiles that entered its airspace from Iran early Wednesday.
The latest escalation marks a renewed collapse in relations after a fragile ceasefire reached in June unravelled following days of fresh hostilities.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran that further military action could target the country’s power plants and bridges unless Tehran returned to negotiations.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said Iran’s energy infrastructure remained a potential target and disclosed that US negotiators had urged Iranian officials to reach a new agreement.
Trump also abandoned a proposal to impose a 20% fee on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, saying Washington would instead pursue investment partnerships with Gulf states.
Oil prices climbed further on Wednesday as traders reacted to mounting concerns over supply disruptions. Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate both rose to their highest levels in more than a month amid fears that the escalating conflict could further threaten global energy exports.
Goodness Anunobi
