Iran threatens to block more vital seaways as Trump orders renewed Iran blockade

CAIRO: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened to close all other export corridors benefiting the United States and its allies, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the imposition of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports.

In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, the IRGC declared that regional energy exports would either be shared by all or denied to all. Analysts suggest Tehran may utilise its Houthi allies in Yemen to block the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a narrow gateway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden through which Saudi oil exports and a substantial share of global shipping pass.

A senior Houthi official warned that the group was prepared to close the strait, a move he claimed could push oil prices to 200 dollars a barrel, if Saudi Arabia continued military action in Yemen. The threat came after Houthi forces fired missiles at Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of bombing a Houthi-controlled airport and breaking a four-year truce. The Houthis previously demonstrated their ability to disrupt global commerce by launching attacks on Red Sea shipping following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Strikes and regional counter-attacks

The escalation follows a seven-hour wave of US military strikes targeting Iranian capabilities near the Strait of Hormuz and coastal areas. According to the US military, the strikes were launched in response to Iranian attacks on seven commercial vessels over the past week, which left nearly a dozen crew members dead, missing, or injured.

The IRGC stated on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the “end of America’s evils.” In response to the US operations, the Guards claimed they targeted command, logistics, fuel, and military facilities belonging to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The IRGC also claimed to have destroyed a US logistics facility in Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah and struck a US airbase in Azraq, Jordan.

Jordanian air defence forces intercepted and shot down three ballistic missiles entering their airspace from Iran. Meanwhile, Kuwait’s state media reported that a fire at a targeted site had been brought under control, though it remained unconfirmed if this was the facility mentioned by the IRGC. The hostilities have shattered a fragile truce reached in June following months of heavy fighting.

Trump warns of energy targets as oil prices rise

US President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iranian power plants and bridges next week unless Tehran resumes negotiations. Speaking to Fox News, Trump stated that while he would save energy targets for last, the US would ultimately strike them if a deal is not reached.

Trump also abandoned a proposed 20pc fee on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which had drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations shipping agency. He indicated he would instead seek investment deals with Gulf states, though no specific details were provided.

Amid the deepening supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices rose further on Wednesday. Both Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude contracts gained ground, continuing a rally that pushed them to their highest levels since mid-June.