Published December 27, 2023
The Bab al Mandeb: The “Gate of Tears” That’s Shaping History
The Bab al Mandeb is a small geographical chokepoint in the Red Sea with an outsized influence on world affairs: It’s the key to the control of almost all shipping between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Recent drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Bab al Mandeb by Yemen-based Houthi forces prompted the arrival of warships from multiple countries to patrol the area, while other commercial vessels are choosing to make the longer, more expensive, and much more dangerous route around Africa to reach the Mediterranean. And while the Bab al Mandeb is currently making headlines, it’s also played an outsized role in human history—here’s what you should know.
What exactly is the Bab al Mandeb?
The Bab al Mandeb is a 20-mile-wide, 70-mile long strait between the Horn of Africa and the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula that forms the southern entrance to the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean beyond. The countries of Eritrea and Djibouti border it to the west, Yemen lies on its eastern edge.
An island called Perim (also known as Mayyun) dominates the narrowest part of the Bab al Mandeb on the Yemeni side, and the scattered Seven Brothers Islands extend from Djibouti a few miles farther south.
How and why did the Bab al Mandeb get its name?
The name Bab al Mandeb means “Gate of Tears” or “Gate of Grief” in Arabic, from “bab” meaning “gate” and “mandeb” (or “mandab”) meaning “lamentation.”
Its name appears to refer to the perils of navigating the narrow waterway, which is rife with crosscurrents, unpredictable winds, reefs, and shoals. Many ships in past centuries and millennia wrecked in the Bab al Mandeb, and modern ships also face the dangers of naval mines from bygone conflicts.
Why is the Bab al Mandeb in the news now?
A Yemeni rebel group known as the Houthis, who take that name from their founder Hussein al-Houthi, began an uprising in 2004 against Yemen’s official government, which they accused of siding against them with Saudi Arabia. Since 2014, the Houthis have controlled the capital of Sanaa and much of the west and south of the country.
The Houthis are mainly Shia Muslims with links to Iran, which has funded their rebellion against Yemen’s majority Sunni Muslim government and their attacks on Sunni-led Saudi Arabia. In late 2023, the Houthis announced they would target ships in the Bab al Mandeb in support of Iran-backed Hamas, currently fighting a war in Gaza with Israel.
Houthi forces have since fired missiles against several ships in the straits, as well as firing missiles at Israel.
How much shipping moves through the Bab al Mandeb between Europe and Asia?
The Bab al Mandeb, Red Sea, and Suez Canal are all vital links along the world’s key shipping route between Asia and Europe.
