Iran-Backed Houthis Threaten Second Global Shipping Chokepoint in Red Sea

Iran-backed Houthi forces are raising the specter of a second global shipping crisis in the Red Sea, potentially deepening pressure on energy markets and international trade as regional tensions escalate.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, entered the wider Middle East conflict in early April with missile and drone strikes against Israel. They have since warned they could target vessels passing through the Bab al-Mandeb—a strategic corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden—raising fears the conflict could expand beyond the already disrupted Strait of Hormuz.

Security analysts warn that if Houthi forces resume targeting commercial vessels, it would effectively open a second maritime front in a conflict that has already severely restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, creating a dangerous dual chokepoint scenario for global shipping.

“It’s less about what they can actually do and more about the threat,” former Fifth Fleet commander Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan told Fox News Digital. “Once that risk is there, shipping companies decide not to take it.”

The Bab al-Mandeb represents one of the world’s most critical shipping bottlenecks, handling approximately 12% of global seaborne oil trade and serving as a key gateway for cargo moving between Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal. An estimated $1 trillion in goods passes through this narrow strait annually.

The strategic importance of the Red Sea has grown significantly as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has become disrupted, pushing more cargo and energy flows toward alternative routes. This shift has increased reliance on the Bab al-Mandeb, raising the stakes of any renewed disruption.

Ship-tracking data reveals daily transits through the strait have already fallen to roughly half of typical levels, following earlier Houthi attacks that pushed major shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa—a much longer and costlier alternative.

Iranian official Aliakbar Velayati signaled the potential coordination between Iran and its proxies in a recent statement on social media: “Today, the unified command of the Resistance front views Bab al-Mandeb as it does Hormuz. If the White House dares to repeat its foolish mistakes, it will soon realize that the flow of global energy and trade can be disrupted with a single move.”

The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, maintain a growing arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, anti-ship weapons, and drones—much of it derived from Iranian designs. While Iran has long supplied key components through smuggling networks, the group has developed capabilities to assemble and produce weapons inside Yemen, though analysts believe these supply lines may now be constrained by the broader regional conflict.

“They do have the ability to pester international maritime traffic,” Middle East analyst Gregg Roman noted, warning that broader attacks could trigger “a severe international response” from the U.S., Israel, and Gulf allies.

The United States launched a major air and naval campaign in 2025—Operation Rough Rider—to counter previous Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, after the group began targeting commercial vessels in opposition to Israel’s operations in Gaza. U.S. and allied forces carried out hundreds of strikes on missile launchers, drones, radar systems, and other Houthi infrastructure across Yemen.

While the campaign degraded parts of the group’s capabilities, it failed to fully eliminate the threat. Shipping companies continued avoiding the route due to persistent security concerns.

Both U.S. and regional experts assess that the Houthis lack the capability to completely shut down the Bab al-Mandeb, but retain sufficient resources to harass vessels with missiles, drones, and small boats—tactics that previously proved effective at disrupting shipping across the Red Sea.

So far, the Houthis have limited their recent involvement to strikes on Israel, avoiding the sustained maritime attacks that disrupted global shipping in previous years. This restraint potentially reflects both strategic calculation and pressure from regional actors, though officials warn Iran could encourage the group to escalate attacks on Red Sea shipping if the conflict intensifies.

Beyond the immediate threat to shipping, security experts warn that efforts by Iran or its proxies to influence who can safely transit key waterways could challenge long-standing international norms of free passage—raising concerns about similar tactics potentially being deployed in other global maritime chokepoints.