Bab el-Mandeb Blockade Reports Put Japan's Energy Lifeline on Alert Beyond Hormuz

Hormuz tensions have not eased, and now a second choke point is flashing yellow. Reports say Iran has asked Yemen's rebel forces to prepare to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea; Japan's industry minister Akazawa said the government is watching 'with grave concern' and referenced alternatives via Saudi Arabia. Open a map and the stakes are clear: if Hormuz closes, tankers can reroute via the Red Sea — but if Bab el-Mandeb locks too, both arteries carrying Middle East energy to Asia and Europe are pinched at once. Japan imports roughly ninety percent of its crude from the Middle East, so insurance premiums and rerouting costs feed straight into electricity bills and consumer prices — the same storyline as the BOJ's record inflation-expectations survey. Watch oil prices, freight indices, and any move to release strategic reserves.