(SeaPRwire) – By: Douglas Vance
Marco Rubio’s accusation against Iran landed at this week’s ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila. He claimed Tehran flew IRGC personnel directly into Yemen. This stoked renewed clashes between Saudi forces and the Iran-backed Houthis. The Houthis have declared a blockade of Saudi-linked ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This threatens to snarl a critical global trade route. No hard evidence backed Rubio’s claims, but the threat itself is real.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait carries roughly 12% of global trade. It also handles one-quarter of worldwide container traffic. The strait links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden via the Suez Canal. Its importance has grown as U.S.-Iran tensions restricted Strait of Hormuz shipping. Saudi Arabia now relies on this route to move its oil exports. The Houthis previously attacked more than 100 vessels during their Gaza-linked campaign. That campaign targeted ships with no clear Israel or Saudi ties. U.S. forces have launched 11 consecutive nights of strikes against Iranian targets. The strikes targeted aircraft hangars and drone storage sites.
Rubio warned that letting Iran control international waterways would set a dangerous global precedent. He noted this could lead other nations to copy the tactic of seizing shipping lanes. He also pointed to Iran’s broader pattern of backing armed groups across the region. That includes Houthis, Hezbollah, Iraqi militias and Hamas. President Trump said the latest Houthi threat has not yet materialized. But the risk of a full trade disruption remains high. The Houthis launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport this week. That marked one of the most serious clashes in years. The real danger isn’t just the strait itself. It’s the erosion of 70 years of free maritime trade rules.
Author bio: Douglas Vance, a maritime defense scholar and naval intelligence briefing coordinator focused on Middle Eastern regional security.