After Hormuz, all eyes on Red Sea: Could Iran trigger a global shipping crisis at Bab al-Mandeb?

What happens when the world’s two most critical maritime chokepoints are pushed to the brink, at the same time? The Strait of Hormuz is already under pressure. Now, a new threat is emerging from the Red Sea. Iran’s so-called “new cards” may not be nuclear or diplomatic, they may be geographic. The Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow strip of water most people have never heard of, suddenly becomes the hinge on which global trade swings. But how real is this threat? Can Iran actually pull this off through its regional network? And more importantly, what happens to your fuel prices, supply chains, and economy if it does? From Saudi oil exports to UAE’s Fujairah route, from Asian goods headed to Europe to the hidden cost of rerouting ships around Africa, this is not just a military escalation, it’s an economic shockwave in the making. As Trump extends the deadline and Iran stays unusually quiet, one question looms: is this restraint or preparation?