Chokepoint Guide
Red Sea
15% of global trade — disrupted by Houthi missile and drone attacks
Overview
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, located between Africa to the west and the Arabian Peninsula to the east. It connects to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal at its northern end, and to the Indian Ocean via the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait at its southern end. The Red Sea is approximately 1,900 kilometers long and up to 355 kilometers wide. Under normal conditions, it is one of the world's busiest shipping corridors, connecting European markets to Asian manufacturing.
Strategic Importance
Before the Houthi attack campaign disrupted it, the Red Sea-Suez route carried approximately 15% of global seaborne trade by value, including about 30% of global container traffic, 12% of global seaborne oil trade, and significant LNG flows. The route is the primary connection between European ports (Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp) and Asian manufacturing hubs (China, South Korea, India). Disruption forces vessels onto the Cape of Good Hope route, adding thousands of miles and days to voyages.
Key Facts
~15% of global seaborne trade (by value) transited pre-crisis
~30% of global container traffic used the Red Sea-Suez route
Egypt earns approximately $9–10 billion/year from Suez Canal tolls (down ~60% in 2024)
The Red Sea is approximately 1,900 km long — vessels must transit its full length between Hormuz and Suez
Houthi-controlled coastal territory in Yemen gives them firing positions covering most of the Red Sea
The Red Sea has no significant alternative routing except the Cape of Good Hope
Over 50 commercial vessels have been attacked since October 2023
Current Risk Assessment
The Red Sea is currently the world's most active maritime conflict zone. Houthi forces have attacked commercial vessels with anti-ship missiles, one-way attack drones, ballistic missiles (including hypersonic variants), and naval mines. Two vessels have been sunk (Rubymar, MV Tutor) and multiple crew killed. Most major carriers have suspended Red Sea operations indefinitely. War-risk premiums for Red Sea transits are 0.5–1.0% of hull value per transit — effectively prohibitive for many vessels.
Historical Context
The Red Sea has historically been one of the world's safest shipping corridors, despite occasional Somali piracy incidents in the adjacent Gulf of Aden. The modern Suez Canal (opened 1869, nationalized by Egypt in 1956, expanded 2015) is the primary driver of its commercial importance. The Houthi attack campaign that began in October 2023 represents an unprecedented disruption — the first sustained, technologically sophisticated attack campaign against global shipping in this corridor.