Iran warns of closing Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb if aggression continues

Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has issued a strategic warning regarding the current conflict. He stated that the Resistance holds the capability to lock both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb, presenting a binary choice: halt aggression or face the coordinated regulation of both critical waterways.

"The prediction made a few days ago has been fulfilled: a missile response of the Zat al-Salasil type," Velayati said, invoking a reference to one of Islam's celebrated early military victories to frame the scale and character of the Iranian response. He stated that Israel's "folly" in Beirut and its flagrant ceasefire violation had activated "the first link in our chain response," indicating that further steps in a graduated retaliatory sequence remain available and ready.

"The current security of the Bab al-Mandeb should not lead the enemy into a miscalculation," he said. The Bab al-Mandeb, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and controlling access to the Suez Canal, is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints for global trade and energy shipments. "The Resistance has the capability to lock both waterways," he said. "The choice is yours: stop the folly, or enter the balance of regulated control of the two straits."

According to Mehr News, Velayati's remarks come amid heightened tensions in the region following recent events in Beirut and violations of ceasefire agreements. The warning underscores Iran's strategic posture and the potential for disruption of global energy supplies through these vital maritime routes.