https://x.com/dolfiniran/status/2044891352819781722
Factcheck:
@dolfiniran is a legitimate Iranian account. It posts real-time Persian-language analysis of the Iran-Israel conflict and is widely reported in OSINT circles (including Drop Site News and others) as linked to advisors close to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Not an official regime handle, but treated as an insider source with apparent access.
No confirmed reports from any credible sources indicate that initial steps to block Bab al-Mandab have started or are scheduled as claimed.
Iranian officials and Houthis have repeatedly threatened this in response to the US Strait of Hormuz blockade (early April 2026 statements from Velayati, Iranian lawmakers, and Houthi figures), but mainstream coverage as of April 17 shows only rhetoric, Saudi concerns, and no verified action or announcements.
It’s circulating as unverified speculation on some Persian accounts.