Houthi Grip on Bab al-Mandab Puts Global Shipping on Alert

SANA’A, Yemen — Bab al-Mandab is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime passages, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and providing a key route for ships travelling between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Any sustained Houthi control or influence over Perim island and nearby areas would give the group a strategically important position close to one of the main shipping routes connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The importance of Bab al-Mandab is closely linked to the Suez Canal, a major trade route between Asia and Europe. Ships using the passage can reach the Red Sea and Suez without making the much longer journey around southern Africa.

The Houthis have previously demonstrated their ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the area, prompting some shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope. Such diversions increase sailing times, fuel consumption and transportation costs.

Greater Houthi influence around Bab al-Mandab could also have wider security and political implications for nearby countries, including Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia. Any prolonged disruption could therefore affect regional maritime security as well as international trade.

The strategic significance of the development extends beyond Yemen. Continued instability around Bab al-Mandab could force more vessels to avoid the passage, increasing pressure on global shipping routes and potentially raising the cost of transporting goods and energy between Asia and Europe.

GAROWE ONLINE