Iran's military warned that if the U.S. maritime blockade continues, it will blockade not only the Gulf (the Persian Gulf) and the Gulf of Oman but also the Red Sea. This is the first time Iran has officially mentioned an additional blockade of major sea trade routes such as the Red Sea in response to the U.S. maritime blockade.
Iran's state-run IRIB reported that on the 15th (local time), Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees Iran's armed forces, said in a statement that "the aggressive and terrorist United States is continuing an illegal maritime blockade and threatening the safety of Iranian merchant ships and tankers."
Abdollahi said, "Such actions by the United States will be a prelude to violating the cease-fire agreement," adding, "If the U.S. blockade measures continue, we will take a strong military response." He said, "Iran's powerful military will not tolerate any import or export activities passing through the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea," and "Iran will act decisively by mobilizing all means to safeguard national sovereignty and interests."
Analysts say Iran is seeking to boost its leverage by issuing a "hard-line message" ahead of a second round of talks with the United States.
Experts have warned that if the United States blockades Iranian ports by sea, the pro-Iran Houthi rebels in Yemen could hinder passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway between southwestern Yemen and Djibouti that connects to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, is a geostrategic chokepoint through which about 10% of global maritime trade passes. On average, 50 to 60 merchant ships transit daily, and crude oil and petroleum product flows average about 9 million barrels a day. Its narrowest point is only about 30 km wide, making it vulnerable to military blockades.
When the Gaza Strip war broke out in 2024, Houthi rebels attacked merchant ships passing through the strait under the pretext of supporting the Palestinian group Hamas, and cargo volumes plunged by more than 40%.
If a blockade extends from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, there is an alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, but because transit takes more than 10 additional days, it is expected to send a massive shockwave through global shipping and logistics.