Gate of Tears: Houthis and Saudi-backed forces clash in battle for control of strategic waterway

A renewed battle for control of a strategic waterway has reignited a decades-long conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni forces. At the heart of the fighting is the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key trading corridor also known as the Gate of Tears.

The Houthis stormed down Yemen's coast in September, seizing the port city of Mocha in a bid for power over the strait. However, Yemeni forces have since recaptured the city in a major counteroffensive and deployed more than 100 fighter jets to guard the waterway.

What is the Gate of Tears?

The Gate of Tears, or Bab el-Mandeb Strait, is a waterway at the southern end of the Red Sea — between Yemen, Djibouti and Eritrea. Named for its precarious route, it lies on the opposite side of the peninsula to the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping corridor whose traffic has been dramatically affected as the US and Iran wrestle for its control.

The strait is 29 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments. The Yemeni island of Perim divides the path. To the north lie the port cities of Hodeidah and Mocha. The cities, which the Houthis have seized, give a commanding view over approaching vessels.

On September 11, the group also seized the strategic Perim, where the United Arab Emirates — a former Saudi ally — had been building an air base. Since then, a Saudi-backed counteroffensive has regained control of Mocha and attacked Houthi members in Hodeidah.

What is behind this latest conflict?

The Houthis' desire to control the strait extends beyond the Iran war. The fight over key ports are part of a continuing civil war in Yemen, between the Houthis and a Saudi-backed government.

From 2015 to the 2022 truce, Saudi Arabia was involved in a combined air and limited ground campaign in Yemen, fighting against the Houthis, a group Australia lists as a terrorist organisation. The fragile truce collapsed this year, after an air strike hit the Sana'a International Airport, preventing an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation to land.

"The whole world is going to suffer and it's going to be catastrophic for the entire world,"

Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, said.

Houthis blamed the attack on a Saudi-led coalition, and responded with missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia, including one that targeted Riyadh. They also targeted Saudi's oil infrastructure.

"It has always been a critical route for shipping,"

Sanjoy Paul, an associate professor of operations and supply chain management at the University of Technology Sydney said. "It's not for only for few countries. Continents are connected through that shipping route."

How important is Bab el-Mandeb to trade?

It serves as the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, meaning ships must pass through it to access the canal from the south. Before the Iran war in February, about 10-12 per cent of global trade passed through the waterway.

In 2023, the strait handled approximately 9 per cent of global oil demand, according to the International Sustainable Development Observatory (ISDO). And for Asia and Australia, the shipping lane is even more significant. Oil, medicine, fertiliser, textiles, and machinery were all transported through that route, Dr Paul said.

When it was a choke point, ships had to travel around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope which could take three times as long.

"This additional time increases shipping time, increases cost of transportation, increases insurance as well,"

Dr Paul said. For customers, that meant shortages and price surges.

What does this mean for Australia?

If the Houthis regain control of the strait, it could push prices up in Australia.

Dr Paul said a further blockade would be "another blow to shipping and transportation", in addition to decreased use of the Strait of Hormuz.

"That increased demand at a global level will again translate into higher prices,"

Dr Paul added, about the impact on Australian fuel.

While a chokehold may hit consumer pockets, Dr Paul was concerned about Australia's access to critical supplies, such as medicine.

"It could be another important consideration: How in Australia we can prepare to stock key medicine?"

Dr Paul said. "Because those sort of things will be impacted for a long time. We may need to rethink our medical situation, how we can have enough stock here. How long can you rely on those countries that cannot bring in your products?"