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Although Iran does not border the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Yemen does, and Iran is closely allied with the Houthis, the Yemeni militant group that previously conducted dozens of strikes against Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea in 2023 and 2024 in response to the war in Gaza.

  • chasteinsect@programming.devEnglish
    30·
    2 days ago

    If anyone wants a good video covering this strait and other important ones, here’s one by TLDR News Global:

    Mapping the World’s (other) Maritime Chokepoints - YouTube

    • Something like 16 % of all sea‑borne trade by value passes through the Bab‑el‑Mandeb compared to about 6 % for the Strait of Hormuz.
    • In normal times something like 20 % of all oil and gas trade consumed by the world passes through the Strait of Hormuz compared to more like 10 % for the Bab‑el‑Mandeb.
    • Saudi Arabia started relying more heavily on exports via the Red Sea which mostly flow out towards Asia via the Bab‑el‑Mandeb
    • Most sea‑borne trade between Europe and Asia passes through the Bab‑el‑Mandeb.
    • The next most direct maritime route includes an 8,000 km detour around Africa.
    • zaphod@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      3·
      1 day ago

      Something like 16 % of all sea‑borne trade by value passes through the Bab‑el‑Mandeb

      Is that still the case? AFAIK a lot of shipping companies avoid it since 2023. And that’s also an important point, unlike the Strait of Hormuz the Bab-el-Mandeb can be avoided at the cost of longer shipping times.