Three sources told Reuters on Thursday that Iran has instructed Yemen's Houthi militia to prepare to shut the Bab El-Mandeb oil route if the US attacks Iranian power infrastructure, a move that would escalate risks to global energy supplies.

The request underscores the deepening coordination between Tehran and its Houthi allies amid heightened tensions with Washington.

The idea has been discussed within the Islamic Republic’s leadership, and the message has been conveyed to Iran’s Houthi allies, two senior Iranian sources and a regional source familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The sources said the Houthis had been informed recently of Tehran’s request, which has not been previously reported.

They did not give further details on how it had been conveyed or whether it was after US President Donald Trump’s threat to attack Iranian power infrastructure on Tuesday.

Iran’s foreign ministry and a spokesperson for the Houthi group were not immediately available to respond to Reuters’ request.

Houthis deploy drones near Bab El-Mandeb, says source

According to a source close to the Houthis, the group has finished positioning missiles and drones near the Bab El-Mandeb strait, which is the entrance to the Red Sea, in the Yemeni highlands overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden, and is now waiting for the order to start attacks on shipping.

Since the Strait of Hormuz is already closed, any Houthi strikes on ships or ports in the Red Sea would simultaneously disrupt both of the Middle East's major oil export routes, creating a new front in the energy crisis and in Iran's broader confrontation with the US.

Representatives of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who are already in Yemen will control the decision on when to close the Bab El-Mandeb strait, said the source close to the Houthis.

Iran views the Houthis as part of its regional “Axis of Resistance,” an alliance that also includes Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiite armed groups that have already ​joined the regional conflict between Tehran and Washington.

But the Houthis ​have not formally entered the fray.

The US says Iran has provided the Houthis with weapons, funding and training, including support channelled through Hezbollah. Tehran has denied the accusation. 

The Houthis are part of Iran's 'Axis of Resistance,' which includes Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiite groups that have already engaged in the regional conflict. The potential closure of Bab El-Mandeb would compound global energy disruptions already caused by the Strait of Hormuz shutdown. Analysts warn that such a move could trigger a sharp spike in oil prices and further destabilize the region.