Iran warns wider shipping lanes at risk beyond Hormuz

A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader warned that key global shipping routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz could be at risk if the United States and Israel escalate attacks.

Ali Akbar Velayati, speaking to state-run Press TV, said the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is viewed as “equally strategic as the Strait of Hormuz” by what he described as a “unified command of the resistance.”

Velayati said a misstep by either side could disrupt global energy flows and trade, adding the United States “has yet to understand the geography of power.” His remarks come after President Donald Trump warned of consequences if Iran does not reopen Hormuz by his deadline.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is a major route for global shipping and has previously been targeted by Yemen’s Houthi group.