Vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz dropped to 11, the lowest in months, highlighting ongoing risks in key energy corridors.
The number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to 11 on Sunday, marking the lowest level in months. The fact that only 7 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz, despite a pause in attacks, indicates that the risks in the two energy corridors persist.
Lowest traffic in Bab el-Mandeb in months
Only 11 commodity vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, on Sunday. Data from Kpler shows that the daily passage count has fallen to its lowest level in recent months. Of the vessels that passed through the strait, 7 were oil tankers. Thus, although energy-carrying vessels constituted a significant portion of the total traffic, the volume of passage remained well below the levels prior to the attacks.
Passages decreased from 38 to 11
The slowdown in Bab el-Mandeb became noticeably pronounced within a few days. The number of vessels passing through the strait decreased from 38 on Tuesday to 27 on Wednesday, and then to 11 on Sunday. The decline compared to Tuesday exceeded 71%. The latest data indicates that, following the attacks, ship owners and charterers only allowed certain tankers to pass, while holding back other vessels or redirecting them to different routes.
Three tankers entered the Red Sea
Despite the low traffic on Sunday, three oil tankers entered the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden. Two of the vessels were very large crude carriers heading towards Saudi Arabia. The third tanker was identified as being linked to Russia. The limited number of vessels entering the strait suggests that the flow of empty tankers needing to reach Saudi ports for loading has not yet normalized.
4 million barrels headed to China
On the same day, four commodity vessels passed from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Among those departing were two Hong Kong-flagged supertankers carrying a total of 4 million barrels of Saudi oil to China.
The passage of tankers indicates that some loaded vessels were able to exit the strait. However, the small number of successful passages did not create a recovery in overall maritime traffic.
Attacks altered traffic patterns
The attacks by the Houthis in Yemen on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities along the Red Sea coast accelerated the decline in traffic through the strait. The group had previously declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.
The threats have expanded the risk area to include vessels loading or unloading at Saudi ports. Factors such as the vessel's flag, the source of the cargo, the destination, and commercial connections have become decisive in route decisions.
Only 7 passages in Hormuz
The contraction in Bab el-Mandeb coincided with a period of low traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Throughout the weekend, less than 10 commodity vessels passed through the strait daily.
On Sunday, only 7 passages were recorded in the Strait of Hormuz. Three of the vessels were Iranian-linked tankers. The pause in attacks between the U.S. and Iran did not yield a corresponding recovery in maritime traffic.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
