The grip of Iran-allied Houthi rebels on the narrow sea passage between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, a vital route on the shortest maritime link between Asia and Europe, has sparked fears of rising oil prices and shipping costs.
Between pipeline attacks and control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Iran’s allies have begun targeting new infrastructure critical to global trade just as the pressure from the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf had started to ease.
In just a few days, Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized the coastal city of Mokha and several islands in the Red Sea, consolidating their hold on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the waterway between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. Meanwhile, drones launched from Iraq damaged Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline on Thursday, September 10, forcing its shutdown the following day.
The consequences are not only regional but global, raising fears of higher oil prices and increased shipping costs at a time when inflation is already high in Europe and the United States.
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The Bab al-Mandab Strait, whose Arabic name means “Gate of Tears” because of the dangerous currents and winds that make navigation perilous, has never lived up to its name more than now. As a result of the Yemeni rebels’ takeover, ships are being forced to turn back and take lengthy detours, especially those loading or unloading goods at Saudi ports.
Together with the Suez Canal, the strait is an essential passage along the shortest sea route connecting Asia and Europe. Even though the rebels have stated that navigation is “safe” for all except Saudi Arabia, it remains uncertain whether Western shipping companies will continue to use it.
The alternative is to sail around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, a much longer and costlier journey, adding at least 10 days to the trip. Between 2023 and 2025, major companies like MSC, Maersk and CMA CGM used this route after an attack on a vessel in November 2023. The Houthis stormed the ship, which was owned by an Israeli businessman, boarding it via helicopter, taking it to their shores and eventually sinking it in May 2026. They justified the operation by their support for Palestinians.
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The Bab al-Mandab Strait, whose Arabic name means “Gate of Tears” because of the dangerous currents and winds that make navigation perilous, has never lived up to its name more than now. As a result of the Yemeni rebels’ takeover, ships are being forced to turn back and take lengthy detours, especially those loading or unloading goods at Saudi ports.
Together with the Suez Canal, the strait is an essential passage along the shortest sea route connecting Asia and Europe. Even though the rebels have stated that navigation is “safe” for all except Saudi Arabia, it remains uncertain whether Western shipping companies will continue to use it.
The alternative is to sail around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, a much longer and costlier journey, adding at least 10 days to the trip. Between 2023 and 2025, major companies like MSC, Maersk and CMA CGM used this route after an attack on a vessel in November 2023. The Houthis stormed the ship, which was owned by an Israeli businessman, boarding it via helicopter, taking it to their shores and eventually sinking it in May 2026. They justified the operation by their support for Palestinians.
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