Maritime Escalation in the Iran Conflict: Bab el-Mandeb, Houthi Expansion and the U.S. Blockade

The maritime dimension of the Iran conflict has entered a more dangerous phase following the fatal Houthi attack in the Bab el-Mandeb and increasingly forceful U.S. enforcement of the blockade on Iranian ports. This assessment examines the growing interaction between the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz theatres, the re-emergence of the Saudi-Houthi confrontation, Iran’s continued use of regional proxy forces, and the cumulative economic impact of the U.S. blockade. It also assesses the likelihood that sustained financial and military pressure will progressively constrain Tehran’s ability to support the Houthis and strengthen U.S. leverage over Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.