A large freighter ship navigates the Suez Canal, arguably the world’s most important waterway, circa 2022. Recent drone attacks on shipping near the Suez Canal have highlighted its weakness to asymmetric attacks from low-cost drones. (Shutterstock/Viktor Hladchenko)

Drone Strike on Suez Canal Exposes Yet Another Crucial Oil Chokepoint

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The impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure has been lessened by a major Saudi pipeline running to the Red Sea—but Iran can shut down the Red Sea, too.

Recent attacks on two gas tankers at the Egyptian port of Damietta near the Suez Canal sparked a fire across both ships. They also ignited fresh security concerns in the Middle East—and highlighted that yet another vital waterway could be closed in the US-Iran war, which may be spiraling out of Washington’s control.

No one has yet taken responsibility for the attack on the port of Damietta, located on a branch of the Nile Delta. Still, it is a reminder of how easily crucial waterways around the world can be easily shut down by low-cost drones.

The Middle East’s Tricky Naval Geography

Since the start of Operation Epic Fury in February, Iran has largely shut down the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the narrow body of water that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The impact on global oil markets has been calamitous; before the war, roughly one-fifth of all oil traffic passed through the strait every day.

One saving grace in the conflict has been Saudi........

© The National Interest