On july 25, houthi rebels attacked a civilian oil tanker in the red sea west of yemens hodeida port. Closure of the bab elmandeb could keep tankers originating in the persian gulf from reaching the suez canal or the sumed pipeline. Babelmandeb is supported by wikiproject yemen, which collaborates on yemenrelated topics on wikipedia. Passage through the strait of bab almandeb by ruth. Passage through the strait of bab almandeb by ruth lapidoth. One lng tanker destined for egypt transits the strait each week. Curbing houthi attacks on civilian ships in the bab al. Accordingly, washington should back up its commitment by taking the following steps to secure the vital waterway.
The babelmandeb or mandeb strait is a strait located between yemen on the arabian peninsula, and djibouti and eritrea in the horn of africa. Babelmandeb means gateway bab of anguish, or gateway of tears. Saudi arabias energy minister khalid alfalih said on thursday that the worlds top exporter was temporarily halting all oil shipments through bab elmandeb strait immediately, after an earlier. However, the strait of bab almandeb, which links the red sea with the gulf of aden, does not provide a safe alternative to problemridden hormuz since the. Choke point bab elmandeb is strategically critical in todays world and just how important can be judged by how careful the western media is in covering the region. Looking at the strait of bab almandeb, although the percentage of oil barrels per day passing through it is lower than that of hormuz, approximately 4 percent of global supplies compared to 20 percent, it currently poses greater challenges for the bordering region because yemen is the epicenter of subregional insecurity. According to initial reports, unidentified assailants fired on a survey vessel from the shore at 1845 hrs local time during an operation off mayyun island in the bab. Move comes after yemens houthi rebels targeted saudi oil tankers in the bab al mandeb strait on wednesday. Most exports of petroleum and natural gas from the persian gulf that transit the suez canal or the sumed pipeline pass through both the bab elmandeb and the strait of hormuz. Bab elmandeb strait, arabic bab almandab, strait between arabia northeast and africa southwest that connects the red sea northwest with the gulf of. Saudi arabia temporarily halted oil shipments via the bab elmandeb strait, a key shipping lane for crude at the southern end of the red sea, after the country said two tankers were attacked by. At its narrowest, it is only eighteen miles across. Lhd3 transits the bab al mandeb after departing the red sea and into the gulf of aden.
Saudi arabia has temporarily halted oil shipments through the waterway in the past. Bab elmandeb article about bab elmandeb by the free. Saudis suspend oil shipments via bab elmandeb after. It is sometimes called the mandab strait in the english language the strait gets its name from the dangers of traveling on it. Iran seized two britishoperated oil tankers in the strait of hormuz friday, marking a fresh escalation of tensions between tehran and the west. The strait of bab elmandab is a strategic waterway located between yemen, djibouti, and eritrea, where the red sea joins the indian ocean. Saudi arabia is temporarily halting all oil shipments through bab elmandeb strait immediately after an earlier attack on two crude vessels by the iranaligned houthi movement until the.
Ignores the most dangerous strait in the world at its peril. Aug 29, 2018 the most dangerous sealane, according to the national interest, is the bab elmandebthe gate of tears. The babelmandeb acts as a strategic link between the indian ocean and the mediterranean sea via the red sea and the suez canal. The bab almandab strait is bordered by four countries. The bab elmandeb strait is a strategic route for oil and. Saudi arabia suspends oil exports through bab elmandeb. The babelmandeb strait or the gate of lamentation in arabic has long been an important economic hub.
The strait is a deadly geopolitical cocktail directly threatening international shippingincluding 4. The babelmandeb, meaning gate of tears in arabic, is a strait between yemen on the arabian peninsula, djibouti and eritrea, north of somalia, in the horn of africa, and connecting the red sea to the guardafui channel and gulf of aden. The bab almandab strait is the narrow waterway that separates the arabian peninsula from the horn of africa and links the red sea to the gulf of aden and the indian ocean. The bab elmandeb links the indian ocean and the mediterranean sea. The vessela saudiflagged, doublehulled very large crude carrier vlcc named arsanhad left ras tanura terminal on july 16 carrying about two million barrels of oil for egypt. Curbing houthi attacks on civilian ships in the bab almandab. The bab elmandeb strait, off the shores of yemen, djibouti, and eritrea, connects the red sea with the arabian sea and is one of the worlds major waterways for crude oil and other petroleum. Babelmandeb strait located between yemen on the arabian peninsula, and djibouti and eritrea in the horn of africa. Jul 25, 2018 the bab elmandeb strait, off the shores of yemen, djibouti, and eritrea, connects the red sea with the arabian sea and is one of the worlds major waterways for crude oil and other petroleum. Control of the strategically located strait was long contested by britain and france. Mar 19, 2019 looking at the strait of bab al mandeb, although the percentage of oil barrels per day passing through it is lower than that of hormuz, approximately 4 percent of global supplies compared to 20 percent, it currently poses greater challenges for the bordering region because yemen is the epicenter of subregional insecurity.
How the united states can reclaim the strategic initiative in the bab al mandeb. Yemen on the arabian peninsula side, and djibouti, ethiopia and samalia on the african side. The straits of bab almandab have long been a historical and civilizational chokepoint where the shortest trade routes between the mediterranean europe and north africa and the indian ocean and beyond india, china, and east asia can be controlled or stopped. If the international community eventually agrees on the expansion of the right of passage through straits, this regime will certainly apply to bab almandeb. The most dangerous sealane, according to the national interest, is the bab elmandebthe gate of tears. The bab almandab, which controls access to the red sea and the southern end of the suez canal, is particularly crucial at present because of egypts reliance on imported liquefied natural gas to maintain its electricity supplies. The strategic importance of the bab elmandeb strait. The battle over the bab al mandab straits israel defense. The waterway is the link between the mediterranean and the indian ocean. On 21 june 2011, the navys oldest aircraft carrier enterprise passed the navys newest carrier, george h. The strait is 20 miles 32 km wide and is divided into two channels by perim island.
The strait derives its name from the dangers attending its navigation or, according to an arab legend, from the numbers who were drowned by the earthquake that separated the arabian peninsula from the horn of africa geography. Irans revolutionary guard seizes one ukoperated tanker. The bab elmandeb strait, whose name comes from an arab legend and means the gate of tears for the risks of its navigation in the past is a. Please participate by improving this article, or visit the project page for more information this article has not yet received a rating on the projects quality scale this article has not yet received a rating on the projects importance scale. Somalia is added because it is bordered by the gulf of aden, the natural entrance to the red sea thru gh the bab almandab strait. Nov 19, 2011 choke point bab elmandeb is strategically critical in todays world and just how important can be judged by how careful the western media is in covering the region. The bab elmandeb, or gate of tears, is a narrow neck of water that separates the red sea from the indian ocean. The straight connects the red sea and the gulf of aden. The bab elmandeb strait is a sea route chokepoint between the horn of africa and the middle east, connecting the red sea to the gulf of aden and arabian sea. The marshall islandsflagged crude tanker mv muskie was hit by the rpgs from two skiffs as it transited through the bab elmandeb strait on. Babelmandeb simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Babelmandeb synonyms, babelmandeb pronunciation, babelmandeb translation, english dictionary definition of babelmandeb. The strait also separates arabia in the northeast from the african continent in the southwest.
Bab elmandeb, an emerging chokepoint for middle east oil. The strait of bab elmandeb is a narrow passage between the horn of africa and the middle east etween djibouti and yemen. Saudi arabia suspends oil exports through bab al mandeb. Saudi arabia suspends oil exports through bab elmandeb after. The bab elmandeb strait is 18 miles wide at its narrowest point, limiting tanker traffic to two 2milewide channels for inbound and outbound shipments. Saudi arabia suspends oil exports through bab almandeb. The babelmandeb is a strait located between yemen on the arabian peninsula, and djibouti and eritrea in the horn of africa. The united states has a longstanding commitment to ensuring the security of international sea lanes, and the bab almandab strait handles more than four million barrels of oil every day.
A strategically important strait, 27 km wide, between the arabian peninsula and eastern africa. Houthis captured base on bab elmandeb business insider. Gate of tears is a strait located between yemen on the arabian peninsula, and djibouti and eritrea in the horn of africa. But the obscure strait at the southern end of the red sea serves as the main conduit between the persian gulf, the indian ocean, and the suez canal. Almost nothing is allowed in the news that might hasten the day of meles zenawis departure.
In august 2017, china opened its very first overseas naval base just south of the babelmandeb strait in djibouti, signifying the strategic importance china places in the region. Use babelmandeb in a sentence babelmandeb sentence. The bab elmandeb strait is a focal transit point which is every day traversed by an estimated 3. Bab elmandeb strait, strait between arabia northeast and africa southwest that connects the red sea northwest with the gulf of aden and the indian ocean southeast.
Information and translations of babelmandeb in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. However, few people know about the babelmandeb strait, which lies on the red sea between djibouti and yemen. The bab elmandeb strait is a strait of great strategic and economic importance, connecting the red sea in the northwest to the gulf of aden and the indian ocean in the southeast. Another critical oil chokepoint is in firing line after iran. Saudis suspend oil shipments via bab elmandeb after attack. This waterway enables ships to sail between europe and asia without having to spend several days circling around the entire continent of africa. It is an important passage on the indian oceanmediterranean sea shipping route via the suez canal. At its narrowest point, the strait is only 29 km wide between yemen on one side and djibouti and eritrea on the other. Another critical oil chokepoint is in firing line after. The bab elmandeb strait is a strategic waterway located between djibouti and yemen that links the red sea to the indian ocean.
It is the shortest trade route between the mediterranean region, the indian ocean, and the rest of east asia. The bab elmandeb is 18 miles wide at its narrowest point, limiting tanker traffic to two 2milewide channels for inbound and outbound shipments, according to the energy information administration. The vulnerability of passage through the strait has been demonstrated by the 1971 coral sea incident and by the 1973 blockade. The bab elmandeb strait is a sea route chokepoint between the horn of africa and the middle east, connecting the red sea to the gulf of. It is sometimes called the mandab strait in the english language. The straits of bab elmandeb and the red sea maritime route. Since the attack, saudi arabia has suspended its movement of oil tankers through the bab almandab strait, and. The bab elmandeb strait gate of tears in arabic forms a vital strategic link in the maritime trade route between the mediterranean sea and.
1441 98 676 1155 241 1338 1034 1007 795 1276 1134 783 1188 1502 688 808 1396 187 247 146 96 448 517 1241 1203 1141 1445 893 357 1435