What to know about Bab al-Mandab, a crucial waterway that Iran is threatening to block

Iranian state-run media reported on Sunday that Tehran is threatening to block Bab al-Mandab, another vital maritime corridor in the Middle East, if Israel escalates its attack, citing a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader.

Bab al-Mandab is located at the southern end of the Red Sea and is a critical gateway to the Suez Canal, linking Europe and Asia through one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, News.Az reports, citing CNN.

Just 29 kilometers (18 miles) across at its narrowest point, it is where ships have previously come under attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

In late 2023, Houthi militants began attacking commercial vessels passing through the strait in retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza. The attacks prompted shipping companies to use a longer route, adding weeks onto journeys and forcing them to spend more on fuel, insurance, and seafarers’ wages.

Nearly 15% of global maritime trade passes Bab al-Mandab. The previous disruptions to shipping between 2023 and 2025 probably cost some $20 billion a year, according to industry estimates.

The strait has, however, remained largely navigable throughout the current war, preserving a critical export route for Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter, after Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz.

News.Az 

By Faig Mahmudov