Iran has fully closed the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, another critical global shipping corridor, as Israel continues its military action against it. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had posted on X, warning that the resistance axis can block both the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.
Valeyati stated that an escalation will plunge the region into a new equation in which both straits become “subject to a regulated balance of deterrence.” According to the latest reports, Iran has blocked the channel and completely closed the Strait of Hormuz.
It is worth noting that the Bab al-Mandab Straight is a strategic maritime corridor at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, serving as a key gateway to the Suez Canal and connecting Europe and Asia through one of the globe’s busiest shipping routes. Forcing shipping companies to reroute vessels from the strait will have significant implications, including increasing fuel, insurance, and crew-related costs.
Despite the decision, Iran says it will halt military action against Israel following US President Donald Trump’s plea for a ceasefire in the Middle East region. Trump’s call came after Israel and Iran embarked on a series of tit-for-tat that threatened to derail the advancement made in the ongoing peace deal and attempt to end the war.
Following Trump’s plea, Iran’s military said it will no longer attack Israel on the condition that the latter reciprocates the same gesture, including ceasing to launch strikes at Lebanon. According to the Iranian military, non-compliance by Israel will attract “much harsher and more crushing actions than before.”
The latest development reflects how much the conflict in Lebanon is affecting ongoing negotiations on how to end the war. All of this happened shortly after Trump posted on his Truth Social that final talks on a truce were “proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.” President Trump urged both Israel and Iran to “stop shooting,” noting that they were “looking to do an immediate ceasefire.”
Notably, the crisis in the region escalated after three waves of Iranian attacks targeted Israel after the latter’s strikes on Beirut, the Lebanese Capital. Israel responded with intense blasts on Iran, despite Trump’s public statement, saying he would urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate.
