Bab el-Mandeb Ship Traffic Falls to 11, Lowest Level in Months

Only 11 commodity vessels crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Sunday, the lowest number in months, after Iran-backed Houthis attacked Saudi oil facilities along the Red Sea coast. Kpler data showed seven of the ships were oil tankers, with four leaving the Red Sea and three entering it. Fewer than 10 commodity vessels also crossed the Strait of Hormuz on each weekend day despite the U.S.-Iran strike pause. The disruption expands pressure on two critical energy routes, after the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi exports and said they struck Aramco sites in Jizan and Yanbu.