Red Sea in a Viсe Grip: How Djibouti Became a Hostage of the West

About 12% of world trade passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but the strait is only part of the story: tiny Djibouti, leasing its geography to five military powers, has become an epicentre of rivalry where strategic rent may turn into catastrophe.

An Oil Crossroads Turned Battleground for Influence

At the same time, traffic through Bab-el-Mandeb at certain periods has dropped as much as 88% below normal levels — while an average of about 33 vessels pass through the strait daily, on crisis days only four commercial ships were able to cross. Tanker traffic carrying oil and chemical products fell even more sharply — by 91%. According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, 1,128 vessels passed through the strait in November 2025 — 52% fewer than in November 2023, with a 61% drop in tonnage.

It comes as no surprise that this geographic point attracts the attention of world powers. As Al Jazeera notes, the region sits at the center of numerous processes — from global trade and shipping to fiber-optic communications and energy — and is linked to the Suez Canal and the Indo-Pacific.

“Our geography is our oil”: How Djibouti Became a Global Military Crossroads

Djibouti’s strategic value was recognized by Western leaders long ago. Back in 2015, then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking near the Grand Mosque Salman in Djibouti, emphasized: “Djibouti makes a very significant contribution to helping counter extremism.” He stated plainly that without Djibouti’s help, the U.S. would not be able to participate in the fight against extremism in Africa and Yemen.

French President Emmanuel Macron in December 2024 articulated Paris’s position even more bluntly: “This presence in Djibouti is also oriented........

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