Movement of cargo ships and tankers through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait…
Movement of cargo ships and tankers through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on July 26 changed following attacks by Yemeni Houthi forces against oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Consensus
- Shipping traffic through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait decreased significantly after Houthi forces announced a maritime blockade on vessels associated with Saudi Arabia.
- The reduction in shipping activity was reported by multiple sources citing data from Kpler analytics company.
- On July 26, only 15 cargo ships passed through the strait, down from 34 on July 20.
- Among the goods transported were crude oil, grain, and fertilizers destined for China, India, Pakistan, and the Netherlands.
- Houthi forces claimed to have conducted a 'qualitative military operation' against two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.
- The blockade was announced in response to Saudi-led blockades on Yemeni ports and an attack on Sana'a's international airport.
Points of divergence
- Houthi forces expanded their declared maritime blockade beyond vessels linked to Saudi Arabia to include all maritime traffic entering or leaving Saudi ports. — interfax
- The reduction in shipping activity coincided with Houthi attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu, which heightened fears of renewed large-scale military conflict in Yemen. — vesti
- On July 26, only 11 cargo ships passed through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, including seven tankers, two of which were super-large class vessels bound for Yanbu port to load oil; one ship was linked to Russia. — kommerant
- Many ships disabled tracking systems and took non-standard routes to avoid detection during the period of reduced activity in the strait. — vesti
- Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was also low on the weekend, with fewer than ten vessels passing, mostly tankers carrying Iranian petroleum products and some ships that turned off transponders during transit. — kommerant
Coverage (3 sources)
- Movement of ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait reduced by 56% due to Houthi actions — Интерфакс
- Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is emptying: commercial traffic dropped by more than half in a week — Вести
- Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has decreased following Houthi strikes — Коммерсантъ