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Bab el-Mandeb Timeline 1869–2026: Suez, Houthis and the Two-Gate Shipping Crisis

Bab el-Mandeb is a strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean — the southern gateway to the Suez C…

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SUEZ CANAL OPENS

Suez Canal opens — Bab el-Mandeb becomes the Red Sea's southern gate

The Suez Canal's 1869 completion connected the Mediterranean directly to the Red Sea, eliminating the need to sail around Africa. Bab el-Mandeb, the Red Sea's only south…

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SUEZ CLOSED 8 YEARS

Six-Day War closes the Suez Canal for eight years

The 1967 war left the canal blocked until Egypt reopened it in June 1975. For eight years, Europe–Asia shipping had no choice but to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope…

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SAUDI TANKERS ATTACKED

Saudi Arabia briefly halts Red Sea oil shipments after tanker attacks

After Houthi forces attacked two Saudi crude carriers off Yemen's coast, Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended oil shipments through Bab el-Mandeb — the first proof a non-s…

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HOUTHI ATTACKS BEGIN

Houthi forces begin attacking commercial shipping

Following the October 2023 Israel-Hamas war, Houthi forces seized the car carrier Galaxy Leader and began sustained missile and drone attacks on vessels linked to Israel…

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TRADE REROUTES, NOT VANISHES

Oil flow reverses toward the Cape of Good Hope

EIA data shows Bab el-Mandeb petroleum flows falling from 9.3 million b/d (2023) to 4.1 million b/d (2024), while Cape of Good Hope flows rose from 6.2 to 9.3 million b/…

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TWO-GATE CRISIS

Bab el-Mandeb rebounds to 8.1m b/d as Hormuz falls to 4.9m b/d

EIA's August 2026 outlook shows Bab el-Mandeb flows rising to 8.1 million b/d as Hormuz fell to 4.9 million b/d — Saudi Arabia rerouted crude via its East-West pipeline…

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MOCHA SEIZED

Houthi forces seize the historic port of Mocha

Houthi forces captured Mocha, a historic Red Sea port, and continued pushing toward the Bab el-Mandeb shoreline, per Reuters and CNN reporting citing local and military…

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PERIM ISLAND REACHED

Houthi forces reach Perim Island after government withdrawal

Yemeni government-aligned forces relocated to Dhubab; Houthi fighters then reached Perim (Mayyun) Island itself, per local officials cited by Euronews and Cyprus Mail. S…

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