Fears closure of the Mandebsundet: - A crisis

The escalation in the Middle East means that Iran is threatening to close yet another strait. The Mande Strait. A commercial ship sails in the Strait of Mande in April this year, after the war against Iran broke out.

The US has attacked several targets in Iran, for the tenth night in a row. Iran has struck back against several American bazaars in the region. Iran's constant iron grip on the Strait of Hormuz is giving President Donald Trump a lot of trouble.

In recent days, Iran has also planned to close the Mandeb Strait, in the south of the Red Sea. That can make the energy situation even more precarious, explains shipping analyst Jørgen Lian at DNB Carnegie. Iran has mobilized its allies in the Houthi militia in Yemen, to get help in limiting shipping traffic in the area.

On Tuesday morning, the Houthi militia announced the start of a "maritime blockade" of Saudi Arabia. Since the war broke out on 28 February, there have been major difficulties in transporting oil out of the Strait of Hormuz. Usually around 20 percent - or around 20 million barrels - of the world's oil is transported through this strait, from the oil-producing countries in the region.

Jørgen Lian Shipping analyst at DNB Carnegie The great uncertainty as to whether or not it is safe to sail through the Strait of Hormuz has sent oil prices on a rollercoaster ride. For one of the world's largest oil-producing countries, Saudi Arabia, a pipeline that runs across the country has become very central. The country has recently managed to reallocate around 4 million barrels of crude oil per day from its east coast, and through the pipeline that opens onto the west coast in the city of Yanbu.

Instead of transporting it out to the world market via the Strait of Hormuz, they have rather transported it in tankers out through the Mandeb Strait. This may have contributed to slowing the rise in oil prices. - If shipping activity in this area is affected, there will potentially be significant negative ripple effects for the world economy, says Lian.

ebsundet is closed, it is a crisis. But it is still a much more manageable crisis than the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, he believes. Ole Gunnar Austvik Professor emeritus in political economy and petroleum economics, University of the Interior Because, in contrast to the Strait of Hormuz, there are alternative routes to the Strait of Mandeb out of the Red Sea.

- A "closure" will disrupt logistics and increase inefficiency, but it will not prevent the oil from flowing, as has been the effect of closing Hormuz, says shipping analyst Fredrik Dybwad at Fearnley Securities. If the strait in the south of the Red Sea closes, the oil can be shipped out through the Suez Canal in the north. The majority goes to land in Asia, and thus the route will be able to go north through the Suez Canal and around Africa.

- The shipping cost will be significantly higher, but the willingness to pay and the need for the energy is there, says Lian. But what about other goods that are transported by large container ships? Historically, the Mandeb Strait, further into the Red Sea, and out through the Suez Canal, has been the main artery for trade between east and west.

Around 10 percent of the world's total trade has traveled this important sea route. Maersk is one of the world's largest companies for container shipping and logistics. As a result of the war in the Middle East, several ships have passed through the Panama Canal, where this photo was taken.