Just shoot them all: power, chokepoints and convergence in the Red Sea
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2025-08-11
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en
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This thesis analyzes the role of chokepoints in the 2023-2025 Red Sea conflict. The conflict between the United States and Houthis ran from October 2023 to May 2025 and resulted in significant alterations to the geopolitical status quo. The primary factor connecting the cause, conduct, and outcome of the conflict was the geographical chokepoint of the Red Sea. This thesis reviews the existing geographic literature regarding chokepoints and identifies three primary categories through which chokepoints have traditionally been analyzed: economic, military, and political. Through an interdisciplinary documentary analysis, this thesis utilizes the 2023-2025 Red Sea conflict as a case study and finds that aspects of all three categories of chokepoints can be identified. The main argument of this thesis is that while geographic chokepoints can be seen as producing discrete economic, military, and political outcomes, these categories of chokepoint cannot be analyzed in isolation. Each category of chokepoint impacts the others, and future geographic studies of chokepoints would benefit in an integrated approach that could better account for outcomes resulting from conflicts at chokepoints.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen