Bab el-Mandeb Strait: Live Map and Red Sea Status

Updated 09:34 UTC · 29 Oct 2026

MonitorWorld's chokepoint model rates the Bab el-Mandeb YELLOW (elevated risk) with a disruption score of 40/100 as of 09:34 UTC; main driver: JWC Listed Area: active Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. The Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden; every ship between the Suez Canal and Asia must pass it. Since late 2023 Houthi attacks have pushed much of that traffic around Africa instead.

YELLOW

Status (our chokepoint model)

as of 09:34 UTC

40/100

Disruption score

as of 09:34 UTC

Media reports, past 3 days

as of 09:34 UTC

~29 km

Width at the narrowest point

between Yemen and Djibouti

[ fig. 1 ] BAB EL-MANDEB STRAITStatus yellowMain route (approx.)Conflict events (UCDP)

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Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea news: latest reports

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Key context

Why the Bab el-Mandeb matters

The name means "Gate of Lament" in Arabic. The strait lies between Yemen on the Arabian side and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African side, and Perim Island splits it into two channels. Together with the Suez Canal it forms the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia.

Before the Red Sea attacks, the US Energy Information Administration counted close to 9 million barrels per day of oil and products through the strait in 2023; in 2024 the flow fell to roughly 4 million as tankers and container ships diverted around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 10 to 14 days to a Europe-Asia voyage.

Who threatens the route

Yemen's Houthi movement controls the Red Sea coast north of the strait, including the port of Hodeidah. Since November 2023 it has attacked merchant ships with missiles, drones and boats, saying it acts in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Naval missions from the EU (Aspides) and a US-led coalition escort and defend ships; see the Yemen war map for the fighting on land.

All 13 chokepoints right now

Chokepoint	Status	Score
Suez Canal	YELLOW	30
Strait of Malacca	GREEN	0
Strait of Hormuz	RED	70
Bab el-Mandeb	YELLOW	40
Panama Canal	GREEN	0
Taiwan Strait	YELLOW	20
Cape of Good Hope	GREEN	15
Strait of Gibraltar	GREEN	15
Bosporus Strait	YELLOW	30
Korea Strait	GREEN	0
Dover Strait	GREEN	15
Kerch Strait	RED	70
Lombok Strait	GREEN	0

Questions and answers

Is the Bab el-Mandeb open?

The strait is not formally closed, and some ships still pass. Our chokepoint model rates it YELLOW (elevated risk) today. Many large shipping lines still avoid it because of attack risk and insurance costs. The latest report on this page is from 05:15 UTC (politicaldog101.com).

Why is the Bab el-Mandeb important?

It is the southern gate of the Red Sea. Ships between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean must pass it, so trouble here hits the Suez route, oil and gas deliveries to Europe and container freight rates worldwide.

How wide is the Bab el-Mandeb?

About 29 km (18 miles) at its narrowest. Perim Island divides it; most large ships use the wider western channel, with separate lanes for each direction.

Why do ships avoid the Red Sea?

Because of Houthi missile, drone and boat attacks since November 2023, which hit dozens of ships and sank several. War-risk insurance for the route rose sharply, so many owners send ships around the Cape of Good Hope instead.

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Sources

MonitorWorld chokepoint model: status (green / yellow / red) and a 0-100 disruption score from a threat baseline, navigational warnings and AIS disruption signals. A risk rating, not an official notice.
The GDELT Project (DOC 2.0 API): media reports, matched by keyword. Headlines link to the publisher; MonitorWorld does not verify them.
MonitorWorld news digest: headlines from public news feeds (Reuters, AP, BBC, Al Jazeera and others), severity rated by our model. Each headline links to the publisher.
UCDP Candidate Events Dataset: Uppsala Conflict Data Program, CC BY 4.0. Candidate (preliminary) events to 30 Sep 2026, not live. Fatalities are UCDP best / low / high estimates.
U.S. Energy Information Administration: oil flow and bypass pipeline figures for the Strait of Hormuz.

Page built 09:34 UTC, 2026-10-29. Full list: data sources and method.