Iran Threatens to Close More Sea Lanes as US Strikes Escalate Conflict
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened to shut additional maritime corridors used by the United States and its allies, according to state media reports. This follows Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the US reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
“Regional energy exports are either shared by all, or denied to all,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iran's IRNA news agency on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Analysts suggest Iran may use its Houthi allies in Yemen to block the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a strategic waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, through which a significant portion of global shipping and Saudi oil exports pass.
A senior Houthi official warned on Monday, July 13, that the group was prepared to close the Bab el-Mandeb if Saudi Arabia continued its military operations in Yemen, potentially driving oil prices to $200 a barrel, according to Iran's Press TV. Houthi forces have previously targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea during the Gaza conflict, claiming they were acting in support of Palestinians.
On Tuesday, July 14, the US military announced a new round of strikes aimed at degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The US stated that Iran had attacked seven commercial ships in the past week, resulting in casualties including deaths and injuries. The US Central Command said it struck dozens of military targets near the strait and Iranian coastal areas over a seven-hour period.
In response, the IRGC said on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until what it termed “the end of America's evils.” Before the conflict began in February, approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments transited the strait daily. The IRGC also claimed to have targeted US Fifth Fleet facilities in Bahrain, a logistics facility in Kuwait's Mina Abdullah, and a US base in Jordan's Azraq, although these claims could not be independently verified.
Kuwait's state news agency reported a fire at an unidentified site that was brought under control, possibly linked to the Iranian attack. Jordan's air defence intercepted three ballistic missiles entering its airspace from Iran on Wednesday morning.
The hostilities between Iran and the US reignited last week, breaking a fragile truce reached in June after months of fighting that has killed thousands. US President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to hit Iranian power plants and bridges unless Tehran resumes negotiations, stating in a Fox News interview that energy targets would be struck last if necessary.
