A photo taken from the Yemeni coast southwest of the city of Taiz, shows a vessel anchored at Bab al-Mandab Strait, in the Red Sea, on July 24, 2026. (photo credit: Khaled ZIAD / AFP via Getty Images)
Bab el-Mandeb is located between Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.