India must lead in securing the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb
India's maritime security posture in the Red Sea corridor is being linked to trade protection, freedom of navigation, and coordinated naval presence near the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb.
- Attacks on vessels linked to Israel disrupted maritime traffic and made the Bab el-Mandeb corridor a security concern.
- The Indian Navy rescued a tanker crew during the period of heightened insecurity in the Red Sea.
- The op-ed supports deterrence, maritime domain awareness, and limited coordination with selected partners instead of a broad alliance.
What happened
The Hindu's op-ed argues that the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb could again face threat from Houthi action, echoing the earlier Red Sea crisis. The author links the danger to India's trade interests because a major share of India's trade moves through this maritime corridor.
A Reuters report cited in the op-ed says Iran instructed the Houthis to close the strait if the United States attacks Iranian power plants. On that basis, the author warns that the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb corridor may again become a zone of disruption.
UPSC may frame this topic as a question on how India should protect sea lines of communication, balance deterrence with coalition-building, and use institutions such as the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region within SAGAR while responding to instability in the Red Sea corridor.
Related dispatches
