According to Kpler data published Thursday, only two commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, compared to the pre-war daily average of 130–140. Bab el-Mandeb traffic also fell to one ship, down from about 20 the previous day. The decline follows Houthi claims of missile strikes on two Saudi oil tankers, which Saudi Arabia has not confirmed. The data was reported by Reuters.
The sharp decline in commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb represents the lowest traffic levels recorded in the current conflict. According to Kpler data published by Reuters on Thursday, only two vessels transited Hormuz on Wednesday, and one ship crossed Bab el-Mandeb — a dramatic drop from pre-war averages of 130–140 and 20 per day, respectively.
The drop follows claims by Yemen's Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) that it fired missiles at two Saudi oil tankers, one near Yanbu in the Red Sea and the other in the Gulf of Aden. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the attacks.
For context, The Zioneer has reported on the following related developments in the strategic waterways: - On June 20, CENTCOM reported 55 commercial ships transiting Hormuz, contradicting Iranian closure claims. - On July 29, Iran reportedly struck three additional vessels in Hormuz overnight. - On July 7, five tankers were reported hit in Hormuz, three identified as Qatari, Saudi, and Emirati. - On July 30, the Houthis declared the closure of Bab el-Mandeb, threatening to fire on vessels without authorization. - On August 3, two Saudi oil tankers crossed Bab el-Mandeb despite the blockade, and six others rerouted via southern Africa.
The developments underscore the ongoing disruption to global maritime trade through the Middle East's two most critical chokepoints, with no immediate sign of restoration to normal traffic levels.
2 developments
- DevelopingEight vessels transited Strait of Hormuz over weekend, maritime tracker reports
- StrongAP: Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic rose to 258 vessels last week
- DevelopingStrait of Hormuz traffic at three-week low Thursday: 8 vessels crossed, all via Iranian route
- DevelopingStrait of Hormuz tanker traffic remains far below pre-crisis levels in June
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