The Bab-el-Mandeb is a strait and a major global chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and, by extension, the Indian Ocean. Its name in Arabic translates to "Gate of Grief" or "Gate of Tears". The strait is geographically situated between the Arabian Peninsula, specifically Yemen, and the Horn of Africa, bordered by Djibouti and Eritrea.
The strait has been a hub for sea trade between East Africa, Arabia, and India for millennia. Its global importance significantly increased after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which allowed trade between Asia and Europe to bypass the long route around Africa. This mechanism established the Bab-el-Mandeb as a vital link in the maritime route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. At its narrowest point, the strait is about 16 miles (26 km) wide, limiting tanker traffic to two narrow channels. The strait is divided by Perim Island into a western channel, which is 16 miles wide and used for international shipping, and a shallower eastern channel.
The Bab-el-Mandeb is a crucial artery for global energy security, serving as the third busiest chokepoint in global oil trade, with over one-tenth of seaborne global oil trade passing through it. It connects to other major concepts like the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz, as most petroleum and natural gas exports from the Persian Gulf that transit the Suez Canal also pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb.
Recently, the strait has seen significant disruption since November 2023, when Yemen's Houthi militia began targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea following the Israel-Hamas war. This instability has caused shipping traffic through the Bab-el-Mandeb to be nearly halved, forcing many vessels to divert around the southern tip of Africa, which increases transit time and shipping costs. Despite the reduced traffic, the strait remains a key route for Russian oil exports to Asian markets like India.