Published: · Region: Middle East · Category: geopolitics

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Theatre of war in Europe
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Iran Warns U.S. of Second Front at Bab el-Mandeb as Sanctions Force Flights to Turn Back

Senior Iranian officials say any new U.S. escalation could turn the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into a second front alongside the Strait of Hormuz, while fresh U.S. sanctions on Iranian airlines have led to cancelled Gulf routes and at least one Tehran–Dushanbe flight returning midair.

Iran is coupling threats at key maritime chokepoints with warnings about the impact of new U.S. sanctions on its aviation sector.

Iran’s Security Council Secretary Rezaei said that a new U.S. escalation could open a second front at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait alongside the Strait of Hormuz, and that linking the two chokepoints would “change the battlefield.” Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, while Hormuz is the narrow exit from the Persian Gulf.

Separately, Yahya Safavi, a military adviser to the Iranian chief of staff, said that tying together the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea—specifically the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait—would change the picture of the war. He warned that if the United States starts a new war, a new front might open focused on the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, and questioned whether Washington is ready for such a conflict.

At the same time, sanctions on Iranian airlines are already affecting travel. Iranian news agency ISNA reported that all flights on routes between Iran and the United Arab Emirates were cancelled at midnight following American measures that have paralysed large parts of the Iranian aviation sector.

One flight by Iranian carrier Varesh from Tehran to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, was forced to return to Imam Khomeini Airport. Passengers were reportedly told by the captain mid-flight that the aircraft was going back because it had not been granted landing permission after the sanctions took effect.

The combination of maritime threats and aviation disruption underlines how the stand-off between Iran and the United States is spilling into trade and civilian movement.

Key indicators to watch include any increase in hostile activity near shipping lanes at Hormuz or Bab el-Mandeb and further changes to Iran’s regional flight patterns as sanctions bite.

Sources

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