Houthi strikes choke Red Sea tanker traffic

Ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait has fallen to its lowest daily level in months after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure heightened fears that another major Middle East energy corridor could become unsafe for commercial vessels.

Only 11 commodity-carrying ships crossed the narrow waterway on Sunday, vessel-tracking data showed. The passage links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a vital route for oil shipments and container trade between Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean.

Seven of the ships were oil tankers, including two very large crude carriers heading towards Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu terminal. Four vessels leaving the Red Sea were carrying Saudi, Emirati and Russian oil towards markets including China and Pakistan.

The fall in traffic followed missile and drone attacks aimed at oil installations around Yanbu and Jizan on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. Saudi authorities said the projectiles were intercepted, while the Houthis claimed they had struck facilities belonging to state oil producer Aramco.

The Yemen-based group also said it had targeted infrastructure connected to the East-West pipeline, which transports crude from oilfields in the kingdom’s eastern region to Yanbu. The pipeline has become increasingly important because it allows supplies to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia has expanded the use of its Red Sea export system as shipping through Hormuz remains heavily disrupted by the confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The shift was intended to protect crude flows from threats around the Gulf, but Houthi operations have now exposed the alternative route to similar risks.

The Houthis have threatened vessels using Saudi ports and announced what they described as a naval blockade of the kingdom. The group says its actions are retaliation for Saudi military operations in Yemen and alleged incursions into Yemeni airspace.

Riyadh has answered the attacks with strikes on Houthi-controlled sites, including military positions around the port city of Hodeidah. Saudi officials have said they will defend energy infrastructure and maritime navigation, raising the possibility of a prolonged exchange across the Red Sea.

Shipping companies have begun responding by delaying departures, changing destinations or turning vessels away from the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Some tankers that had approached Bab el-Mandeb reversed course before later resuming their journeys, reflecting uncertainty over the duration and effectiveness of the Houthi threat.

The disruption comes as traffic through Hormuz also remains unusually low. Fewer than 10 vessels a day crossed the strait during parts of the weekend, despite a pause in US strikes on Iran. Several ships operating in the area switched off their transponders, making the full scale of oil movements difficult to assess.

Together, Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb form the two principal maritime gateways for Middle Eastern energy exports. A sustained disruption at both points would restrict shipments from some of the world’s biggest oil and gas producers while forcing traders to rely on pipelines, storage reserves and longer maritime routes.

Saudi crude transported to Yanbu normally moves south through Bab el-Mandeb towards Asian refineries. Tankers seeking to avoid the strait could instead sail north through the Suez Canal or use Egypt’s Sumed pipeline before entering the Mediterranean, but those options cannot easily accommodate every cargo.

Very large crude carriers face particular constraints because of their size and draught. Some may need to transfer cargo to smaller vessels or travel around the Cape of Good Hope, adding thousands of nautical miles and several weeks to voyages between the Middle East and Asia.

Longer journeys would increase fuel consumption, charter rates and insurance premiums. War-risk cover for Red Sea voyages has already risen as underwriters reassess the likelihood of missile, drone and boarding attacks.

Crude prices have remained volatile as traders weigh the threat to supplies against signs of diplomatic movement between Washington and Tehran. Brent crude fell sharply after the United States paused attacks on Iran, but continuing restrictions at Hormuz and the renewed danger around Bab el-Mandeb have limited confidence that normal trade will quickly resume.

Oil shipments through the southern Red Sea had increased as producers sought alternatives to Hormuz. Crude and condensate flows through Bab el-Mandeb climbed from about 3.7 million barrels a day during the first quarter of 2025 to roughly 5.4 million barrels a day before the latest escalation.

The route is also central to container shipping. Many operators had begun reconsidering Red Sea services after earlier Houthi attacks pushed vessels towards the Cape of Good Hope. Renewed hostilities could delay any broad return to the Suez corridor and maintain pressure on freight costs and delivery schedules.