What is it?
Bab el-Mandeb (Arabic Bâb al-Mandab) is the strait linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and, beyond it, the Indian Ocean. Its Arabic name means "gate of grief" or "gate of tears." According to its Wikipedia entry, the name comes either from the dangers of navigating it or from an Arab legend. Yemen lies on its eastern shore, and Djibouti and Eritrea on its western shore. Perim (Mayun) Island, in the middle of the strait, splits the waterway into two channels.
How does it work?
Together with the Suez Canal, Bab el-Mandeb forms part of the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe. Tankers heading from the Persian Gulf to Europe and container ships running between Asia and Europe pass through it. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Red Sea route carried about 12% of the world's seaborne oil trade and about 8% of global LNG trade in the first half of 2023.
When the strait is closed or unsafe, ships must sail around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. That lengthens voyages and raises freight and insurance costs. Suez Canal revenues are also directly affected in such periods, so the security problem in the strait concerns not only Yemen and the Gulf but also Egypt and Mediterranean ports.
Why does it matter?
Because of the war in Yemen, Bab el-Mandeb is a point where regional conflict feeds directly into global trade. Starting in November 2023, Ansarallah (the Houthis), who control northern Yemen, attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, citing the Gaza war. According to its Wikipedia entry, the Houthis declared the strait "closed" to Israeli-owned and Israeli-flagged ships in March 2025.
For Iran news, the strait is considered alongside Hormuz. A threat to both straits at once affects both the eastern and western outlets for Gulf energy. Saudi Arabia's reliance on its pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu to bypass Hormuz makes Bab el-Mandeb's security even more important. According to the reports Farsçadan monitors, the area around the strait became a front line again in 2026 in the fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
Debates
Responsibility for attacks in the strait and Iran's role are disputed. The United States and Gulf states accuse Iran of supplying the Houthis with weapons and intelligence. Iran says the Houthis make their own decisions. The parties' statements about which ships were targeted, and how much damage was done, also often contradict each other.
