Hawzah News Agency- In an interview with Al-Masirah TV, Al-Sharabi explained that the evolution of global trade—from land routes to modern maritime transport—has made the sea the primary pathway for goods movement.
All vital sectors, from food to fuel and heavy industries, depend fundamentally on maritime transport, making so-called maritime "chokepoints'', foremost among them the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, and the Suez Canal, decisive elements in the international economic equation.
Al-Sharabi noted that the Strait of Hormuz represents a vital artery for global energy, with approximately 20% of daily oil trade passing through it, along with 20% of gas trade and 33% of fertilizers—approximately 144 oil tankers and their cargoes transiting daily. He warned that its closure would lead to significant supply shortages and direct repercussions across various global economic sectors.
He emphasized that this importance is also linked to geography, as the narrow navigational passages in the Strait of Hormuz—with routes not exceeding 2 to 3 miles for entry and exit—alongside controlling islands such as Larak, Qeshm, and Hormuz, grant whoever controls them the ability to control navigation movement.
Regarding the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Al-Sharabi explained that its geographical location, particularly with the presence of Perim Island which divides it into two channels, grants Yemen direct oversight capability over trade movement and the ability to distinguish innocent passage from hostile—making it an effective geopolitical tool.
He affirmed that this equation has witnessed a radical transformation: "Bab al-Mandab is no longer under Western or American control; it has become a point of strength for the nation," after previously being viewed as a weak flank. He noted that the "Battle of the Promised Conquest and Sacred Jihad" represented a turning point in employing these geopolitical capabilities in favor of the resistance and the nation.
Al-Sharabi noted that attempts to find alternatives to maritime routes—whether through overland pipelines or alternative transport projects—face significant challenges in terms of cost and geopolitical risks. He cited the example of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, affirming that these alternatives cannot replace maritime transport.
Attempts to bypass Bab al-Mandab have led to a 300% increase in container prices, an extension of shipping time from 11 to 33 days, increased insurance costs, and navigation difficulties around the Cape of Good Hope, which he described as the "Cape of Storms''.
Overland projects such as the "India-Middle East Corridor" face logistical and political challenges, in addition to their inability to compete with the capacity of ships carrying millions of containers—reinforcing the impossibility of dispensing with maritime routes.
Al-Sharabi emphasized that any disruption to the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab would directly impact energy markets, leading to supply shortages, price increases, inflation, and product scarcity. He noted that oil prices have already risen by approximately 30%, and could reach $250 per barrel in the event of strait closure and depletion of reserves.
The impact extends to global food security, due to disrupted supply chains and fertilizer shortages. He pointed to complaints from farmers in the United States about difficulties continuing production due to lack of these materials.
Al-Sharabi asserted that these facts reveal the strategic importance of the Arab region, which possesses influential control tools over the global economy. However, regimes that have ruled Arab peoples have not invested this advantage, instead allowing Western powers to control it, including the formulation of international navigation laws.
In concluding his remarks, Al-Sharabi affirmed that these maritime routes have become a strategic pressure card. He noted that their impact was a factor in pushing the United States toward engaging with Iranian demands, as negotiations shifted from nuclear and missile files to issues related to the Strait of Hormuz—reflecting its military and political importance simultaneously.
Source: Al Masirah
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