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Bab el-Mandeb Strait live map

Map: VesselFinder

Situation as of November 2026

The Houthis maintain the blockade of ships linked to Saudi Arabia that they declared in July 2026, and since September they have held the Yemeni coast at the strait and Perim Island. They say other ships may pass. According to IMF PortWatch data, an average of about 28 ships a day passed through the strait in the first 25 days of October 2026, against about 74 in 2023.

At a glance

Connects
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
Coasts
Yemen; Djibouti and Eritrea
Width
≈ 26 km at its narrowest
Perim Island
splits the strait into channels ≈ 5 and ≈ 20 km wide
Traffic scheme
in the western channel, between Perim and Djibouti
Ports nearby
Djibouti, Aden, Mokha, Assab
Coordinates
12.6° N, 43.4° E

AIS map shows live ships positions in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Why the strait matters

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and, beyond it, the Indian Ocean. Together with the Suez Canal it is the shortest sea route from Asia and the Persian Gulf to Europe. Without it, ships have to sail around Africa, via the Cape of Good Hope.

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA):

  • in 2023 an average of 8.7 million barrels of oil a day passed through the strait;
  • the Suez Canal, the SUMED pipeline and Bab el-Mandeb together carried about 12% of world seaborne oil trade (first half of 2023) and about 8% of world trade in liquefied natural gas (an estimate from late 2023).

According to IMF PortWatch data, an average of about 74 ships a day passed through the strait in 2023.

Who controls the strait

At its narrowest the strait is about 26 km wide. The eastern shore is Yemen; the western shore is Djibouti and Eritrea. Perim, a Yemeni island, splits the strait into two channels: an eastern one about 5 km wide and about 30 m deep, and a western one about 20 km wide and about 300 m deep. The traffic separation scheme adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) runs through the western channel, in the territorial waters of Djibouti and Yemen.

In 2014 the Houthis (the Ansar Allah movement) took Yemen's capital, Sanaa; in the years that followed they controlled most of the north of the country, and the internationally recognised government most of the south. Until September 2026 government forces held the Yemeni coast at the strait and Perim Island; then the Houthis took them.

Attacks on ships since 2023

  • November 2023. The Houthis began attacking merchant ships, saying they were targeting ships linked to Israel over the war in Gaza. They seized a car carrier together with its crew.
  • December 2023 – February 2024. The United States and its allies launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect shipping. From January 2024 the United States and the United Kingdom struck Houthi targets in Yemen, and in February 2024 the European Union launched Operation Aspides to protect ships. Large container lines began sending ships around Africa.
  • November 2023 – mid-2025. According to Al Jazeera, the Houthis attacked more than 100 merchant ships in this period. Four ships sank, two of them in July 2025, and seafarers were killed.
  • 2025. In January the Houthis paused their attacks after the Gaza ceasefire. In March–May 2025 the United States struck the Houthis, and in May the two sides agreed a ceasefire mediated by Oman: the Houthis stopped attacking American ships. In October 2025, when the Gaza peace plan took effect, the Houthis stopped attacking ships.
  • February–June 2026. After the US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia began exporting more oil through the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, and that oil went through Bab el-Mandeb. According to Kpler data cited by CNBC, 3.5 million barrels a day went from Yanbu through the strait in June 2026, against 240,000 a year earlier.
  • July 2026. After a Saudi strike on Sanaa airport, the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia. In the same month they declared a ban on all ships loading or discharging cargo at Saudi ports. According to Windward data cited by CNBC, some tankers carrying Saudi cargo turned back.
  • July–August 2026. According to ACLED, after declaring the blockade the Houthis attacked 10 merchant ships, most of them tankers. Seven of them flew the Saudi flag or had Saudi owners. In August one vessel sank, and seafarers were killed on another.
  • September 2026. The Houthis advanced along the coast and took the port of Mokha, Perim Island and the Hanish Islands; government forces withdrew. The Houthis said the blockade applied only to ships linked to Saudi Arabia and that other ships could pass. According to ACLED, a drone attack launched from Iraq shut the Saudi East–West pipeline to Yanbu for 11 days.

What it changed

When ships went around Africa, oil changed route too. According to EIA data, an average of 4.0 million barrels of oil a day went through Bab el-Mandeb in January–August 2024, against 8.7 million in 2023, while 9.2 million went around the Cape of Good Hope, against 6.0 million. According to IMF PortWatch data, an average of about 33 ships a day passed through the strait in 2024 and 2025, less than half the 2023 level.

After the Strait of Hormuz closed in 2026, Bab el-Mandeb grew more important, in Al Jazeera's assessment. In September 2026, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence, ships that had avoided the Red Sea for years were again sailing through it.

What the map shows

The map shows the strait itself and Perim Island. Ships passing through keep to the lanes of the traffic separation scheme in the western channel, between Perim and the coast of Djibouti. The map does not show ships with AIS switched off, and some ships show a phrase about their crew instead of a port as their destination. Zoom out to see the approaches to the strait, Djibouti and Aden. UKMTO and JMIC publish current advisories for ships.

AIS gaps and position spoofing

From 2024 many ships around the strait began putting a phrase about their crew, or about having no link to Israel, in the AIS destination field instead of a port. In 2026 JMIC reported that some ships were crossing the strait with AIS switched off: such ships are not on the map. JMIC rated satellite navigation interference at the strait itself as lower than in the central Red Sea.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Bab el-Mandeb Strait open now?

From 2023 the Houthis attacked merchant ships in the strait and on its approaches, and in 2026 they declared a blockade of ships linked to Saudi Arabia. If we have checked the situation recently, it is shown next to the map with the month we checked it. Before a voyage, check the UKMTO and JMIC advisories.

Why did fewer ships use the strait after 2023?

After the Houthi attacks, large container lines began sending ships around Africa, via the Cape of Good Hope. According to IMF PortWatch data, an average of about 74 ships a day passed through the strait in 2023, and about 33 in 2024 and 2025. Also, the map does not show ships with AIS switched off.

Can I see tankers in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait live?

Yes, if the ship's AIS is on. The colour of the icon shows the ship type. Tap or click a ship to see its name, flag, type, course and speed.

Why does Perim Island matter?

Perim, a Yemeni island, lies in the strait itself and splits it into two channels. The eastern channel is narrow and shallow and used mostly by local craft; the traffic separation scheme runs through the western one. In September 2026 the Houthis took the island, together with the Yemeni coast at the strait.

What do phrases like "Chinese crew" in a ship's data mean?

From 2024 many ships in the area began writing phrases about their crew, or about having no link to Israel, in the AIS destination field, hoping to avoid attack. The crew types this field in by hand, so such claims cannot be checked from AIS.

Where can I find official advisories for ships?

UKMTO and JMIC (ukmto.org) publish advisories for the area, as does the US Maritime Administration, MARAD (maritime.dot.gov). The map shows only ship positions and does not replace these advisories.

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