Bab el-Mandeb
The Gate of Grief. About 30 km wide, joining the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and the southern door to the Suez Canal route.
Why this strait has its own section
Bab el-Mandeb is the chokepoint most often mentioned alongside the Strait of Hormuz, and the two are constantly confused. They are not alternatives to each other. For much of the traffic leaving the Gulf they are consecutive gates on one voyage.
With both under pressure at the same time, the interaction between them has become the more interesting question — covered in what happens when both close at once.
- ExplainedWhere is Bab el-Mandeb?Bab el-Mandeb sits between Yemen, Djibouti and Eritrea, about 30 km wide, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. What it connects and why it matters.
- StatusBab el-Mandeb right nowHow much shipping is transiting Bab el-Mandeb, how far below normal that is, who holds the shore, and where to check live figures yourself.
- Perim IslandPerim IslandWhy a small volcanic island in Bab el-Mandeb matters out of all proportion to its size, how it splits the strait into two channels, and who holds it now.
- Cape routeGoing round the CapeHow much longer the Cape route is, what it does to freight rates and fuel burn, and why it works for Bab el-Mandeb but does nothing for Hormuz.