The Iranian authorities and the Houthis threaten to block the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. Why is this important?

Due to the conflict between the United States and Israel with Iran, navigation through Bab-el-Mandebsky may be at risk. One of the busiest routes in world trade passes through it, and after the Strait of Hormuz was blocked, it became more actively used for oil supplies from Saudi Arabia. Tehran and its Houthi allies threaten that this path may also be closed. What is the importance of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait for the global economy — in the material of Izvestia.

How the strait works

• The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea. It is an important maritime corridor through which ships pass from the Mediterranean Sea (bypassing the Suez Canal) to the Indian Ocean. Its name translates from Arabic as "gate of sorrow" or "gate of tears". This may be due both to the difficulties in crossing it, and to the legend that the strait was formed after the earthquake that divided Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Shedding of strength: how the Houthis can change the war in the Middle East

An attempt to stop shipping in the Red Sea could cause a sharp rise in oil and food prices.

• The Strait runs along the coasts of Yemen from the Arabian side and Eritrea and Djibouti from the African side. The narrowest part of the Strait is located between the Yemeni governorate of Taiz and the Obok region in Djibouti and is 27 km wide. At the same time, the island of Perim, belonging to Yemen, divides the waterway in this place into two unequal parts — the main section of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, 21 km wide, and a three-kilometer section called Bab Iskander.

Who controls the strait

The strategic importance of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait was first realized by the British. In 1799, they established their control over the island of Perim. Later, a lighthouse and a coal station for refueling steamships were built on it. Britain controlled the passage through the Strait until 1967, when it granted independence to its protectorate in South Yemen. Currently, the Yemeni coast of the Strait is controlled by the internationally recognized government of the republic, but very close to it is the territory controlled by the Houthi rebels.

• France has maintained a presence on the opposite shore of the Strait since the middle of the 19th century. She controlled the territory of present-day Djibouti until 1977, when the country gained independence, while French troops remained on her territory. Over time, military bases of a number of other countries were located in Djibouti, including the United States, China, Japan and Italy.

• In the past, the USSR also had a certain influence on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait due to the base on the Ethiopian (now Eritrean) island of Nokra, which had been operating since 1977. She served as a support point for Soviet nuclear submarines that served in the Indian Ocean, as well as served ships of the Navy. In 1984, Soviet ships took part in the demining of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which was mined by Islamists in protest against the Iran-Iraq war. In 1991, Soviet troops were evacuated due to the ongoing Eritrean war of independence.

The economic importance of the Strait

• The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, like the Suez Canal, significantly reduces the distance that must be covered on the way from Asia to Europe. 14% of the world's maritime trade passes through it. It also accounts for 30% of the global container shipping turnover. The strait is of particular importance for the supply of food and fertilizers from Europe to Asian and African countries.

• In 2025, 4.2 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products per day passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, accounting for approximately 5% of global production. These are mainly fuels supplied by Arab countries from fields in the Persian Gulf to Europe. After the tankers cross the strait, they reach the Ain Sokhna terminal in the Gulf of Suez and unload the oil into a pipeline that reaches the Mediterranean Sea. This scheme allows you to unload the Suez Canal and exclude the passage of tankers through it.

• Oil supplies through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait usually go from south to north. However, after the outbreak of the war between the United States and Israel with Iran, which led to the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, the route changed. Saudi Arabia has begun to actively use pipelines connecting the Persian Gulf with the port of Yanbu in the Red Sea to export oil and liquefied natural gas to markets. At the same time, fuel mainly goes not to Europe, but to Asia, which has suffered much more due to the fuel crisis.

Houthi influence on trade

• The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a zone of constant tension due to the activity of the Yemeni Houthis from the Ansar Allah movement. They are Iran's allies and opponents of Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States. The Houthis themselves receive financial assistance from Tehran in the form of goods and ammunition through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, while they also prevent the passage of commercial vessels from Asia and Europe for ideological and political reasons.

• The Houthis began firing at ships in the Red Sea shortly after the outbreak of the civil war in Yemen in 2014. Then their targets were tankers and dry cargo ships belonging to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. After some incidents, Saudi tankers had to temporarily stop moving through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and direct them to bypass Africa. In addition to the shelling, mines laid by the Houthis at the exit of the Strait pose a danger to ships.

• The situation around the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait worsened in 2023 after the attack of Hamas militants on Israel. As a sign of solidarity with the Palestinians, the Houthis began firing at Israeli-bound vessels again. In response, the United States and Britain launched a military operation to ensure the free passage of ships along one of the busiest routes in the world, but this did not help completely stop the attacks of the Houthis, who, in addition to missiles, began to actively use drones.

How Trump can get out of the conflict with Iran. Analysis

• The attacks stopped after a peaceful settlement was reached in the Gaza Strip. However, the new conflict in the Middle East has once again called into question navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis supported Iran and attacked Israel on February 28, after which they paused until the end of March and repeated the attacks. However, so far they are not acting as actively as during the previous escalation, and they are not purposefully attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Why is this important?

• The Houthis still have the opportunity to put pressure on maritime trade, which is already in crisis due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Even if they do not block the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, their military activity can increase the cost of freight and insurance of ships, which will lead to additional costs for participants in world trade. The closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the trump cards that Iran can present in the event of a further escalation of the conflict with the United States and Israel, and this will add a negative impact on the global economy, but this sea route, unlike the Strait of Hormuz, at least has an alternative route around Africa.