What Do You Know About Bab Al-Mandab, the World’s Fourth-Largest Maritime Chokepoint?

Thursday, 10 Sep 2026 {HMC} Bab Al-Mandab is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints and the fourth-largest by shipping traffic. It is a key route for oil tankers and other commercial vessels connecting Asia, Europe, and the Americas. More than 12% of global trade passes through the wider Red Sea–Suez route, carrying millions of barrels of oil and large volumes of natural gas.

︎ Strategic location: Bab Al-Mandab serves as a gateway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and provides access to the Suez Canal. Any prolonged closure would severely disrupt trade between Europe, Asia, and Africa, forcing ships to sail around the southern tip of Africa, significantly increasing travel time and costs.

︎ Security importance: Beyond its economic significance, Bab Al-Mandab has major strategic and security implications. It lies between Yemen and Djibouti, near the Red Sea, where the United States, China, and European countries maintain military bases or facilities. The waterway has also become a major focus amid tensions involving Iran and the Houthi movement.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government has said that Iran is seeking to provide the Houthis with greater capacity to exert influence over the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea.