The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a narrow maritime passage between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. It connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and, beyond it, the Indian Ocean.

The strait is regarded as a global maritime chokepoint because shipping moving between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden must pass through it. Its location gives it strategic importance for international trade and regional security.

In 2026, the area became a focus of renewed fighting in Yemen. Houthi forces advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast during a wider offensive, while forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government later launched a counter-offensive and reported recovering territory near the strait.