Iran official says new US escalation could open second front at Bab el-Mandeb
Security Council Secretary Ali Rezaei says an added US escalation could extend the standoff beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
Published
Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Security Council Secretary, Ali Rezaei, said a new escalation by the United States could open a second maritime front at Bab el-Mandeb, in addition to the Strait of Hormuz.
The warning adds to a standoff that is already unresolved. The United States has rejected an Iranian proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's military figure Safavi has said the next phase of the conflict could reach the Indian Ocean. Most of Iran's external flights remain grounded, and Treasury Secretary Bessent has said 80 to 90% of flights out of the country are not operating.
Messages between the two sides have continued to pass through Qatari mediation, the channel seen as the main diplomatic track still open.
A threat to a second chokepoint adds concrete risk to a de-escalation process that is already fragile. With Hormuz already contested, opening Bab el-Mandeb would threaten global oil transit routes and complicate any diplomatic path forward, particularly given the ongoing exchanges through Qatari mediation. That combination is bearish for risk assets and bullish for energy prices.