Bab al-Mandeb embargo: Fossilflation described as global security threat – EnviroNews

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In response to threats over closure of Saudi Arabian oil routes in the Red Sea by the Houthi group, climate justice organisation, 350.org, has warned that the crisis exposes the true cost of continued global reliance on fossil fuels.

The Bab al-Mandeb strait, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, is one of the world’s most important shipping routes. In 2024 alone, around 4.1 billion barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products passed through it, roughly 5% of the global total. Saudi Arabia currently ships about 75% of its oil exports via this route. 

The Strait of Hormuz alone carries around one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply and has been effectively closed since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late February. If Bab al-Mandeb were to close on top of Hormuz, up to 25% of the world’s entire oil and gas supply could be blocked at once. 

Clémence Dubois, Head of Global Campaigns at 350.org, said: “One of the world’s critical chokepoints remains closed as attempts to reopen it have failed. Now, we see a second critical chokepoint on the knife’s edge. That should terrify anyone who still thinks fossil fuel dependence is a safe bet. When a single conflict can put a fifth of global oil and gas supply at risk, and a second flashpoint threatens a further quarter of world supply on top of that, it shows just how fragile and dangerous our dependence on oil and gas really is.

“Those shocks travel straight into food, fuel and transport costs, hitting hardest in countries with the least fiscal room to absorb them, while fossil fuel companies reap insane profits. Fossil fuels do not deliver energy security. Renewable energy offers a worldwide path to real, long-term energy security, one rooted in cooperation, resilience and justice, rather than volatile fossil fuel market and violence.”

Oil prices have gained more than 23 per cent in July, putting them on track for their largest monthly gain since March and is expected to spike further as both chokepoints remain under threat. Analysis by 350.org shows that people and businesses continue to pay a staggering price for fossil fuel dependence, long after the immediate oil price shocks have faded.

350.org estimates that if the Hormuz strait stays closed  by the end of 2026, up to $1 trillion will have been transferred from households and businesses to oil and gas companies through elevated energy prices alone. These costs are driven not only by conflict and geopolitical instability, but by an energy system that leaves economies exposed to fossil fuel price volatility

350.org is calling on governments to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy that strengthens communities, protects the Earth, and reduces exposure to global instability.