Iran goes all-in – what lies behind the seizure of Bab el-Mandeb

Expert Sergei Danilov stated that Iran may have used the Houthis to seize the Bab el-Mandeb Strait amid an oil blockade and economic crisis. According to him, IRGC officers could have been involved in planning the operation, and the Houthis are called 'the weapon of the last day' in Iran. Danilov noted that for over 60 days, Iranian tankers have not left ports, inflation is accelerating, and the population is becoming poorer.

Expert Sergei Danilov, deputy director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, stated on Radio NV that Iran may have involved the Houthis in the seizure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In his assessment, officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could have participated in planning the operation. Danilov noted that the Houthis are unofficially called 'the weapon of the last day' in Iran—a tool used when other options are exhausted. The expert linked the Houthis' activation to Iran's severe economic situation: for over 60 days, tankers carrying Iranian oil have not left ports, inflation is accelerating, domestic fuel prices are rising, and restrictions on subsidized products are tightening. Danilov also reported an increase in poverty and impoverishment, destruction of enterprises, and job losses. He compared the financial losses from the oil blockade to Tehran's war expenses, noting that the sum of $38 billion is far more significant for Iran than for the US.