Houthi rebels from the Yemen-based Ansar Allah movement may shut down an alternative oil trafficking route through the Red Sea in order to support Iran, CNN reports.
According to the media outlet, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz "presents Iran with a new strategic puzzle."
"Its options for escalation are risky since they could trigger a resumption of fighting and a rupture of the ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel," the report reads.
In such a situation, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen could "shut down an alternative oil trafficking route through the Red Sea."
"Such a move would be a hammer blow to the world economy and would surely heap political pressure on Trump as the war would threaten to careen out of control," CNN added.
Iran and the U.S. held several rounds of talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on April 11. Tehran and Washington said following the negotiations that no agreement on finding a long-term solution to the conflict had been reached due to multiple disagreements. The U.S. imposed a maritime blockade of Iran on April 13.
