“Fuel, oil, gasoline, and other products pass through Bab el-Mandeb. So oil tankers in general carrying liquids, we [also] have bulk carriers. These can carry, for instance, grains, they can carry steel. We have container ships. Container ships are the ones that can carry commodities like clothes, like toys, and other stuff. And then you have, of course, the gas carriers, and specifically here, I’m referring to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas, which is used for cooking and heating,” she says, highlighting the critical trade that transits the waterway.
If Iranian forces or the Houthis were to follow through on their threats against the Bab el-Mandeb, vessels would be forced to transit the Cape of Good Hope, a shipping route towards the southernmost point of the African continent, which could be a time-consuming and costly detour.