CAIRO, July 22 — The Bab el-Mandeb strait, a 20-mile-wide maritime passage whose Arabic name translates to “Gate of Tears,” has become a focus of global energy security concerns. This narrow chokepoint connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, and according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, approximately 8.8 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products moved through it in 2022 — representing 12 percent of all seaborne oil trade worldwide. The strategic importance of this passage is difficult to overstate.
Key producers including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates rely on it to export their crude. In addition to oil, the EIA notes that roughly 3.8 million barrels per day of liquefied natural gas from Qatar and other Gulf producers pass through the Bab el-Mandeb.
Many of those tankers are bound for European markets via the Suez Canal, which itself saw some 24,000 vessels transit in 2023, according to the Suez Canal Authority.
Disruptions and their consequences
Attacks by Houthi forces in the region have reshaped shipping patterns. Data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence shows that Suez Canal traffic had dropped by 40 percent as of mid-January 2024. For tankers hauling Middle Eastern crude to Europe, the decision is stark: risk the Bab el-Mandeb strait or take a detour around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope — a route that is approximately 7,000 miles longer.
That longer journey adds between 10 and 15 days to each voyage, with extra fuel costs running between $1 million and $2 million per trip. The rerouting also means vessels bypass the Suez Canal entirely, reducing overall shipping capacity along the vital Egypt-waterway corridor.
Early findings from maritime tracking firms suggest that many shippers have chosen the longer, costlier route to avoid potential losses.
A chokepoint with outsized leverage
The Houthi ability to threaten this passage has given the group considerable economic leverage out of proportion to its conventional military power. The strait’s narrow width — just 20 miles at its narrowest — makes it difficult for naval forces to fully secure. Every passing tanker is a potential target, and the cost of disruption ripples through global energy markets.
The encouraging part, from a supply perspective, is that alternative routes exist. While the Cape of Good Hope detour adds expense and delays, it provides a functional workaround.
That said, the added costs are significant enough that some analysts view the situation as a persistent pressure point on European energy prices. For shippers and refiners, the calculus remains uncertain. As of mid-2026, the situation continues to evolve.
Data from early 2024 indicated a sharp drop in traffic, and subsequent months have not seen a full recovery. The Bab el-Mandeb remains a chokepoint where security and economics meet.
For companies moving crude or LNG through these waters, consulting with maritime security analysts and logistics experts is the prudent step — careful planning now can help avoid disruptions later. The global energy trade has shown resilience before, and early indications suggest that with the right precautions, it can continue to adapt.
