Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement recently launched ballistic missile attacks on Israel, marking their first such strike since the escalation of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Their involvement risks widening the West Asian conflict and brings focus to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. 

 Who are the Houthis?

• Also known as Ansar Allah, the Houthis are a Shia (Zaidi) militant-political group from Yemen.
• Founded in the 1990s by Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi.
• Represent the Zaidi Shia minority in Yemen.
• Part of Iran’s regional alliance network called the “Axis of Resistance”, which includes: Hamas (Gaza) and Hezbollah.
• Oppose the US and Israel, partly due to US support for Saudi Arabia in the Yemen conflict.

 About Bab el-Mandeb Strait 

• Bab el-Mandeb Strait lies between: Arabian Peninsula (northeast) and Horn of Africa (southwest)
• Connects: Red Sea → Gulf of Aden → Indian Ocean
• Acts as a critical maritime chokepoint linking Europe and Asia.
• Around 12% of global seaborne oil trade passes through this route (2023).
• About 8% of global LNG trade also transits here.
• Leads to the Suez Canal, which handles 12–15% of global trade (UNCTAD, 2023).
• Parallel infrastructure: SUMED pipeline (bypasses Suez for oil transport). The SUMED pipeline runs across Egypt from Ain Sokhna on the Gulf of Suez to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean coast.

Implications

• Houthi actions can: Disrupt global shipping routes (as seen since late 2023), Increase freight and insurance costs, Impact energy security and global supply chains. Raises concerns of regional escalation involving Iran and its allies.

Source: IE