Another map of blockade unfolds. Reuters exclusively reported that Iran has instructed Yemen's Houthis to close the Red Sea gateway if the U.S. strikes its power grid. The same day, the White House said it hopes talks with Iran continue — airstrikes and negotiation signals in one frame.
Citing multiple sources on July 16, Reuters exclusively reported that Iran asked the Houthis to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea's gateway, should the U.S. attack Iran's power network. Korean media including the Kyunghyang Shinmun covered it prominently: after Hormuz, is a Red Sea blockade next?
광고 문의 · 300×250The Houthis are said to have already deployed missiles and drones around Bab el-Mandeb, awaiting orders. Britain's Telegraph reported they are even discussing a joint closure with Somalia's al-Shabaab militants.
After Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb: both gateways threatened at once
If Hormuz is the exit for Gulf crude, Bab el-Mandeb is the Red Sea's southern door to the Suez Canal. Two of the world's great maritime chokepoints under simultaneous threat is without precedent.
Iran's order is conditional — a retaliation card against U.S. escalation to mainland infrastructure such as the power grid, and a framing that shifts responsibility for escalation onto Washington.
White House: 'We hope talks continue' — a negotiating signal amid strikes
The same day, the White House said it hopes U.S.-Iran dialogue continues toward an agreement despite days of strikes, the Liberty Times and others reported. Six straight days of bombing and an outstretched hand share one screen.
Skepticism grows in Washington too. A senator on the Foreign Relations Committee called the administration's Iran policy 'the greatest diplomatic disaster in twenty years.' The legality of a long campaign without congressional approval remains contested.
Oil past $85: markets have already voted
Brent crude broke $85 a barrel, and war-risk premiums and detour costs in the Red Sea and Gulf are climbing again. Most oil and LNG bound for Asia passes one of the two straits — Korea, China and Taiwan are all exposed.
A third perspective
Washington calls it pressure toward talks; Tehran calls it conditional deterrence. Gulf producers, Egypt (Suez tolls) and global shipping read it as navigation held hostage. China's foreign ministry has urged de-escalation and safe sea lanes; Europe weighs more escort ships. If the blockade comes, the first thing to rise will not be gunfire but the world's prices.
