Iran signals potential pressure on Bab el-Mandeb shipping route

Amid Iran’s effective control over shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Saturday, April 4, signalled potential pressure on another key maritime chokepoint — the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which lies between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa.

This narrow passage forms the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a route that ultimately connects to the Mediterranean Sea and is critical for global trade and energy transport.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf underscored the strategic weight of the corridor by posing a series of questions:

“What share of global oil, LNG, wheat, rice, and fertiliser shipments transits the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait?

“Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the strait?”

The Bab el-Mandeb has already been a focal point of instability. Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen, which control territory along the strait’s coastline, began targeting vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza in their confrontation with Israel.

These attacks led to a sharp decline in maritime traffic through the Red Sea, with some estimates indicating a drop of more than 50%. Shipping companies were forced to divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, significantly increasing both transit times and operational costs.

Data from the World Economic Forum shows that around 12% of global trade and roughly 30% of all container shipments pass through the Suez Canal. At the same time, the US Energy Information Agency estimates that about 6% of globally traded seaborne oil moves through the Bab el-Mandeb.

The Red Sea also plays an important role for Saudi Arabia as an alternative export corridor that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The port of Yanbu serves as the endpoint of a cross-country pipeline system capable of transporting up to 7 million barrels of crude oil per day, according to Saudi Aramco.

By Tamilla Hasanova