The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is an Arabic phrase which literally means the Gate of Tears or the Gate of Grief. The fear is it may live up to its name soon. Yemen's Houthi movement has announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi shipping and has warned shipping companies against loading or unloading cargo at Saudi ports, Reuters has reported. Iran recently instructed the Houthis to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb if the United States strikes critical Iranian infrastructure.
With tit-for-tat attacks continuing between the US and Iran, a full disruption of one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints has become a credible risk rather than a distant hypothetical.
