BREAKING: If the U.S. conducts a “military attack” on the strategically critical Kharg Island, Iran says it will threaten shipping in the Bab el Mandeb Strait.
With the Strait of Hormuz already effectively shut down, disrupting roughly 20% of global oil flows, this escalation would be devastating for the United States and the global economy.
If Iran targets the Bab el Mandeb Strait, which carries a significant share of oil bound for Europe and beyond, it would choke off one of the last major alternative routes. Tankers would be forced to reroute around Africa, dramatically increasing costs, delays, and energy prices worldwide
In short: with Hormuz already compromised, losing Bab el Mandeb too would create a near worst-case scenario, effectively strangling global energy supply chains and hitting the U.S. economy hard through soaring oil prices, inflation, and supply shocks.