Both Iran and the US are covertly sending hundreds of “military advisors” into the Middle East in a race against time to wrestle maritime control in a new crisis dubbed “worse than Hormuz.” The Mirror has learned that more than 100 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operatives have been secretly sent by Tehran into Yemen to help Houthi rebels block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a maritime chokepoint between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. At least 200 American military advisers have been quietly deployed to Saudi Arabia to help the US battle the growing Houthi threat as both sides aim for maritime dominance.
Race to control Bab al-Mandeb Strait
The move comes amid growing fears that Iran’s Houthi proxies are rapidly tightening their grip on the Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. A source revealed to Israeli journalists on the N12 news service that the Iran-funded Houthis are trying to exert control of Bab al-Mandeb to impose a threat at least as terrible as that caused by the Hormuz crisis.
Since hostilities between the US and Iran began in February, shipping traffic through Hormuz has been largely blocked, triggering challenges around the world. Reduced commercial shipping has led to higher costs for oil, gas and fertilisers, making life harder for millions of people across the globe, and petrol prices have soared as a result.
Strait’s strategic importance
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait sees close to 15% of global maritime trade pass through every year, less than the 20% that passes through Hormuz, but the combined effect would be enough to cause huge global hardship if the Strait were to become blocked. It also means the shifting war has morphed into one of proxy battles and a race against time by the US to try and block Tehran’s bid to further squeeze maritime traffic.
The source said: “They will be able to fire at anything they want with anti-tank missiles. They will be able to see the ships with the naked eye.” The source highlighted the fact that the Houthis are likely to try and exert control over the waterway at its narrowest point, making it a bigger crisis than the Strait of Hormuz.
Potential for greater crisis
The insider added: “They are in the shortest point - it is worse than Hormuz. They will simply be able to see the ships and will have the ability to launch suicide boats or even seize them. This is a huge development that gives a tremendous amount of power to the terrorist organisation.”
The Bab al-Mandeb sees close to 15 per cent of global maritime trade pass through every year, consisting of general goods and oil-related trade, as opposed to 20 per cent the Strait of Hormuz facilitates, which is mostly oil-related. Before the recent war it saw roughly 60 to 80 vessels per day, or over 20,000 vessels annually. This has reduced to single figures daily as happened with Hormuz, but the crisis is threatening to block it completely. Usually the Strait of Hormuz sees 30,000 ships pass through every year, including oil, gas and even coffee and tea. This trade has also reduced to a trickle.
Houthi expansion and wider conflict fears
The Houthis have today taken the Red Sea town of Mocha, expanding their control over the latest trading route to face being blocked, the Bab al-Mandab. It means they have taken control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, expanding their grip over Bab al-Mandeb strait, one of the world’s most important trade routes.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit a US maritime drone in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming to have “thwarted its aggressive mission.” And two vessels off Oman were reported to have been hit by IRGC or Houthi missiles amid fears the war could explode into a much wider conflict. The war between the US and Iran has raged for six months and shows little sign of quietening even though it is severely hitting world economies.
