There are numerous repercussions resulting from the threats to maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, whether economic or security-related. These issues have also raised questions about how to enforce the rules of international law governing freedom of navigation in these waterways, as stipulated in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. However, in my view, there is another extremely significant dimension that poses an even greater threat to maritime navigation in these waterways: the escalating pace of intense international competition near these critical passages.

This competition is reflected in the establishment of military bases within the geostrategic vicinity of these waterways and the deployment of naval missions—both temporary and permanent—aimed at safeguarding maritime security in the region.

Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic.

Source: Akhbar Al Khaleej