All signs show that the War with Iran is escalating.  If we were to invade Kharg Island, that would be a very serious worsening, but there appears to be another front opening up regarding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait . This is that other choke point ( 20 miles wide ) through which 7% of all oil passes, that connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea, leading to the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea. About 1240 miles southwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Control divided among Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa.  Yemen dominates with 43 million people, Eritrea 3.7 million and Djibouti 1.2 million.  However, this strait is so important that the U.S., China, France and other countries maintain heavy naval and military presence in Djibouti. Keep in  mind that the 12-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) holds 80% of the world's proven crude oil reserves. Bab means gate , while Mandeb means grief .  ...