Bab el-Mandab Near Yemen Emerges as Next Major Threat to Global Shipping Routes

The Bab el Mandeb Strait, which separates Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea, serves as a crucial link between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Millions of barrels of oil and large volumes of global trade pass through the waterway each year before reaching the Suez Canal and European markets. A disruption at both maritime chokepoints could have major consequences for global energy markets, supply chains and shipping costs. Costly alternative routeFor operators choosing to avoid Bab el Mandeb, the alternative route around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope comes with significant financial and logistical costs. Global trade watches next developmentsAnalysts say any prolonged disruption at Bab el Mandeb would have consequences far beyond the Middle East, potentially affecting energy supplies, consumer goods shipments and international trade flows between Asia and Europe.