Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Geography and Strategic Significance
Bab el-Mandeb is a narrow maritime strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, forming a critical link on the shipping route between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal.
- Located between Yemen (northeast) and Djibouti/Eritrea (southwest); at its narrowest point it is roughly 32 km (20 miles) wide
- Perim (Mayun) Island divides it into a wider western channel (~26 km) and a narrower eastern channel (~3 km)
- It carries about one-tenth of global seaborne oil trade and roughly a quarter of global container trade, making it the third-busiest oil chokepoint after the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Hormuz
- Bypassing it requires the much longer Cape of Good Hope route around Africa
● Tracked since April 01, 2026 · last seen July 27, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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