Iran could retaliate against a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by directing its Houthi allies to disrupt another critical global shipping route, a senior Middle East analyst warned Sunday.

The Bab al-Mandeb — a narrow chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden — carries roughly 12% of global oil shipments and serves as a vital trade corridor between Asia and Europe, making it a strategic target for escalation that could further strain global energy markets.

“If the U.S. proceeds with its plan to blockade the strait, Iran’s escalation strategy could dictate that it ensures Gulf countries can’t export, either,” Mona Yacoubian, director and senior adviser at the Middle East Program, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP VOWS US WILL STRIKE IRAN’S POWER PLANTS, BRIDGES IF STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS NOT REOPENED

“This could translate to further attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure or even deploying the Houthis to blockade the Bab al-Mandeb,” Yacoubian added.

Yacoubian’s remarks came after Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser on international affairs to Iran’s Supreme Leader, signaled Tehran’s view of the Bab al-Mandeb in light of potential U.S. action to block the Strait of Hormuz.

“Today, the unified command of the Resistance front views Bab al-Mandeb as it does Hormuz,” he said in a post on X.

WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN

“If the White House dares to repeat its foolish mistakes, it will soon realize that the flow of global energy and trade can be disrupted with a single move.”

U.S. Central Command released a statement Sunday saying the naval blockade would begin Monday and be “enforced against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.”

President Donald Trump also said the U.S. Navy would block “any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz” in a post on Truth Social.

In March, the U.S. warned ships at the Red Sea chokepoint of Houthi attacks

“The Houthis continue to pose a threat to U.S. assets, including commercial vessels, in this region,” a maritime advisory said of the Iran-backed armed group that controls much of northern Yemen.

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“Potential hostile actions include one-way unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks; unmanned surface vehicle (USV) attacks; unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) attacks; ballistic and cruise missile attacks; small arms fire from small boats; explosive boat attacks; and illegal boardings, detentions, and/or seizures,” it said.

“U.S.-flagged commercial vessels operating in these areas are strongly advised to turn off their AIS transponders,” the advisory stated.

Yacoubian also determined in a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report that Iran was threatening to expand the conflict further to the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb compounding global market disruptions.

“It could leverage the Houthis, its Yemeni proxy, to once again wage attacks on the strategic waterway, depriving Saudi Arabia of its key workaround for oil shipments given the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz,” she added.

The Houthis joined Iran’s war against the U.S. and Israel on March 28 when the organization launched two ballistic missiles at southern Israel. Both were intercepted.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., did not answer on Sunday whether he believes Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., should resign from Congress after recent allegations of sexual misconduct.

“I do want to ask about allegations against one of your fellow Democrats, Eric Swalwell, allegations of rape and sexual misconduct,” CNN’s Dana Bash said on “State of the Union.” “He denies these allegations as false, says they never happened. You were a leader in your party. Do you think he should resign from Congress or face expulsion?”

“You know, Dana, I have seen the reports,” Warner said. “I think I‘ve met Mr. Swalwell once or twice. I want to hear his side of the story, but obviously, if any of these allegations are true, he should no longer be a candidate for governor. But again, I don‘t know any of the facts. And I‘m a little old-fashioned. I feel like I ought to hear the facts before I start weighing in.”

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Warner did not elaborate on whether he believed that Swalwell should resign from his congressional seat if allegations were proven true. Bash did not follow up with Warner after his response.

Fox News Digital reached out to Warner’s office for comment.

Swalwell was accused by a former staffer of sexual assault while she was intoxicated. The San Francisco Chronicle first broke the story of the anonymous ex-staffer, and three additional women have since spoken to CNN with allegations of misconduct.

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Swalwell is a candidate for governor of California but has since faced calls to drop out, including from within his own party. He has pledged to fight the allegations against him.

“A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly. These allegations of sexual assault are flat-out false,” Swalwell said in a video posted Friday.

“They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have.”

SWALWELL CALLS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS ‘FLAT-OUT FALSE,’ SAYS HE WILL FIGHT THEM ‘WITH EVERYTHING’

Some Democratic candidates have begun calling on Swalwell to also resign from Congress, including Virginia Rep. Eugene Vindman, New Mexico Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal and California Reps. Ro Khanna and Jared Huffman.

Fellow gubernatorial candidates Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Tony Thurmond have also called on Swalwell to resign.

Rep. Eric Swalwell said he is suspending his campaign for California governor, citing personal issues and ongoing allegations in a statement posted on X.

“I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” Swalwell wrote. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. 

“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” he added.

The decision comes as pressure mounted over sexual assault allegations published in a bombshell report from the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday, with lawmakers from both parties calling on him to drop out of the race and resign from Congress. 

HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLANS MOTION TO OUST SWALWELL FROM CONGRESS AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS

Figures calling on Swalwell to step aside included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Pelosi urged that consideration of the accusations against Swalwell take place outside the context of his campaign.

“The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard. This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability. As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that this is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign,” Pelosi said in a statement given to NBC.

MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS DOG SWALWELL AS DEM RIVALS SEIZE OPENING IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

A number of other Democrats soon joined the former speaker’s calls, with a handful rescinding previous endorsements of the campaign.

“I’ve read the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting, and I take it seriously,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said in a post to X.

“What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed,” he added.

Rep. Ted Lieu, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, also said he would pull his endorsement.

SWALWELL’S ‘I SHOULD BE WORKING’ GYM, POOL VIDEOS RESURFACE AS DEM RIVAL HAMMERS HIS MISSED HOUSE VOTES

“In light of the recent allegations against Representative Eric Swalwell, I am withdrawing my endorsement of his campaign for Governor,” Lieu said in his own post.

In its Friday report, the San Francisco Chronicle detailed graphic accounts from a woman accusing Swalwell of pursuing intoxicated women, pressuring employees into intimate situations and asking for explicit images from female contacts.

Rumblings of misconduct from Swalwell first emerged earlier this month when Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and a political media personality, began circulating testimony from women who said they had been sexually assaulted by the congressman.

“The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women,” Hunt claimed in a post to social media.

Despite initially remaining moot on the allegations, Swalwell’s office broke its silence on the matter in comments made to the New York Post earlier this week.

“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, said.

With Swalwell exiting the race, the battle to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom becomes even more uncertain and turbulent ahead of the June 2 primary. Early voting will begin on May 4.

Public opinion surveys indicated that Swalwell was the top polling Democrat in the race, ahead of former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire Tom Steyer, who’s flooded the airwaves with ads since declaring his candidacy in November. Both Porter and Steyer on Friday had called on Swalwell to suspend his gubernatorial campaign and resign from Congress.

The crowded field of Democrats also includes former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

There are two major Republicans in the race: conservative commentator and former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.