After Hormuz, is Red Sea set to be next chokepoint of Iran war?

When the world is still reeling from Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a new threat is beginning to take shape in the region. A top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader has warned that "the unified command of the Resistance front views Bab al-Mandeb as it does Hormuz," signalling Tehran's desire to open a second front in the maritime warfare.

The latest warning has put the Red Sea, which is one of the world's busiest trade corridors, in the crosshairs. Iran also has a powerful ally to make this threat into a reality: the Houthis of Yemen.

Houthis have played a key role in extending Tehran’s influence beyond its borders, allowing it to exert pressure in multiple theatres without any direct confrontation.

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Why Red Sea matters?

The Red Sea is one of the most important trade routes in the world, linking Asia to Europe through the Suez Canal. The Bab al-Mandab strait acts as a narrow gateway for ships carrying goods, oil, and liquefied natural gas.

A disruption in this corridor would not just affect shipping but could slow down the broader supply chains. For countries that are more dependent on imports and exports from this route, including India, the impact could be significant.

Houthis: A real threat

The Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen is a major proxy standing after Israel's campaigns battered both Hamas and Hezbollah following October 2023 attack. The Houthis continue to maintain strong operational capacity.

This militant organisation possess one of the most dangerous pressure tools available to Iran, and that is their location, which allows them to threaten navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a route whose importance has only grown since Iran made passage through Hormuz difficult.

The Houthis had effectively paused large-scale maritime attacks from mid-November 2025 until late February 2026, following a Gaza ceasefire. But on February 28, they signalled the end of this relative calm and threatened to resume attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

Growing concerns

If tensions spread to the Red Sea, the countries could face pressure on two major chokepoints at the same time. While disruptions in the Hormuz has mainly affected the oil supplies, a crisis in the Red Sea would hit broader trade flows.

This could force shipping companies to reroute vessels around longer paths, increasing travel time and costs. Insurance premiums for ships could also rise sharply due to higher risks.

All these factors carry potential to bring a major global economic disruption. Economies already dealing with uncertainty may find it harder to absorb these shocks.