Bab el-Mandab Strait sees highest ship traffic in a week amid Houthi tensions

A total of 37 commodity ships passed through the Bab el-Mandab Strait on Tuesday, marking the highest weekly transit volume since July 19. This surge in traffic indicates a significant shift, with only a handful of vessels opting for the Strait of Hormuz.

The ship-tracking data from analytics firm Kpler revealed that 20 ships entered the strait while 17 exited. The traffic included several Aframax tankers carrying crude oil, such as the Aisopos and Gustav, each loaded with over 750,000 barrels bound for the Gulf of Aden. Another tanker, the Karachi, was carrying approximately 430,000 barrels of crude to Pakistan. Additionally, two tankers carrying petrochemical products entered the strait; the Velos Aquarius was en route to the west of Suez with 345,000 barrels of methyl tertiary butyl ether, and the Sea Ambition carried nearly 93,000 barrels of chemicals to Turkey.

This heightened activity in the Bab el-Mandab occurs amidst escalating actions by Yemen's Houthi movement. The Houthis recently claimed responsibility for firing ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, intensifying their enforcement of a declared maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia. This follows earlier attacks on Saudi oil facilities. Despite the regional tensions, China has reportedly engaged in direct talks with the Houthi movement to secure safe passage for its tankers through the Red Sea.

In contrast, only five commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, with three entering and two exiting. The large crude carrier Nissos Kea, currently empty, was among those entering the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Oman has proposed a joint regional management plan for the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting shipping firms pay voluntary fees. However, a U.S. official stated that no tolls or fees would be implemented for passage through the strait under any coordination deal currently under discussion.