Red Sea
Strategic waterway connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Suez Canal; a critical global shipping lane subject to Houthi attacks since 2023.
Last refreshed: 28 March 2026
Can the world's most contested waterway stay open when both its chokepoints are under fire?
Latest on Red Sea
- Is the Red Sea safe for shipping in 2026?
- Multiple vessels have been struck by missiles and drone boats since February 2026. Insurers have withdrawn cover for many routes, and major lines are diverting around Africa.Source: editorial
- How much trade passes through the Red Sea?
- Roughly 12 per cent of global trade transits the Red Sea via the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, including a significant share of Europe's energy imports.Source: editorial
- What's the difference between the Red Sea and the Suez Canal?
- The Red Sea is the body of water; the Suez Canal is the man-made channel at its northern end connecting it to the Mediterranean. Both must be navigable for the route to function.Source: editorial
- Why are Houthis attacking ships in the Red Sea?
- Ansar Allah (Houthis) have targeted commercial shipping to pressure Israel and the US over regional conflicts. Their control of Yemen's western coast gives them access to the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint.Source: editorial
- What happens to oil prices if the Red Sea closes?
- Sustained closure forces tankers around the Cape of Good Hope, adding two weeks to delivery. Brent Crude spiked to over $92 in March 2026 on fears of combined Red Sea and Hormuz disruption.Source: editorial
Background
A semi-enclosed body of water stretching roughly 2,250 kilometres between the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean, the Red Sea carries approximately 12 per cent of global trade. The Suez Canal at its northern end and the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint at its southern end make it one of the most strategically consequential waterways on Earth. Littoral states include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti.
The Red Sea has become a frontline in the escalating confrontation between Iran and the United States, with commercial shipping facing unprecedented risk from missile strikes, weaponised drone boats and naval blockades . Ansar Allah forces in Yemen have signalled readiness to interdict traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb strait , while an LNG carrier was sunk off the Libyan coast in a separate incident .
Simultaneous pressure from Iran's Hormuz campaign and Ansar Allah's demonstrated capacity to close the Bab al-Mandeb has raised the prospect of a double chokepoint crisis, forcing insurers to withdraw cover and compelling major shipping lines including CMA CGM to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope. The economic stakes are immense: any sustained closure would sever Europe's shortest maritime link to Asia and drive energy prices sharply higher.
