Iran Threatens Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Oil Exports Impacted

Iran's Revolutionary Guard has threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, if Israel does not cease its strikes in Gaza and Lebanon. Oil exports through the Bab el-Mandeb nearly doubled to 7.2 million barrels per day in April from 3.9 million bpd in February. This increase has been critical in offsetting supply losses from the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. crude prices rose 8% following the threat, indicating potential market volatility linked to geopolitical tensions and oil supply disruptions.