Qatar Warns Bab al-Mandab Closure Would Be ‘Catastrophic

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Doha: Qatar warned on Tuesday that shutting down the Bab al-Mandab Strait would have ‘catastrophic’ effects on global trade and shipping, as tensions rise around critical maritime routes in the Middle East.

Ibrahim Al Hashmi, a Qatari Foreign Ministry official, stated that the global community was already grappling with significant repercussions from the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz and could not sustain another major disruption.

‘The world is already struggling with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, so we can’t also burden it further by adding the Bab al-Mandab to the mix,’ Al Hashmi told reporters.

He stated that closing Bab al-Mandab, the critical southern gateway to the Red Sea, would be ‘catastrophic for the entire world,’ cautioning that disruptions to major shipping lanes were already having tangible effects.

His remarks followed recent Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, sparking worries over the security of this critical waterway, a key artery for global maritime commerce.

According to Al Hashmi, Qatar was promoting diplomacy and dialogue to prevent further escalation and avoid additional disruption to global shipping.