Commercial shipping through two of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints declined sharply on Wednesday, according to shipping data, highlighting the continued disruption to regional trade routes amid escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler showed that traffic through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait fell significantly compared with the previous day, reflecting the impact of heightened security concerns across the Gulf and Red Sea regions.
Only two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Those included a Panama-flagged coal-laden carrier entering the waterway and a Marshall Islands-flagged commodity vessel departing it. The figure represented a steep decline from the eight vessels that passed through the strategic waterway a day earlier.
The reduction is even more pronounced when compared with normal shipping activity before the current conflict. Prior to the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran on 28 February and Iran’s subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, approximately 130 to 140 ships would typically transit the passage each day.
A similarly sharp fall in vessel movements was recorded at the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, another critical maritime corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Kpler data showed that only one commodity vessel, a Bahamas-flagged dry bulk carrier, crossed the strait on Wednesday, down from 20 vessels recorded the previous day.
The latest shipping figures underscore the continuing disruption to maritime traffic through waterways that are central to global energy and commodity transport. The Strait of Hormuz serves as a vital gateway for Gulf exports, while the Bab-el-Mandeb connects shipping routes between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, making both passages strategically significant for international trade.
The decline in vessel movements came as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for two separate missile attacks targeting Saudi oil tankers. According to the group, one missile attack targeted a Saudi tanker off the coast of the kingdom’s Red Sea port city of Yanbu, while a second missile attack was directed at another Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
There was no confirmation from Saudi Arabia regarding either reported incident, leaving the Houthi claims unverified.
The Houthis have maintained a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month, describing the action as a response to what they allege is a Saudi siege on Yemen. Riyadh has denied that allegation.
The latest developments add to the uncertainty surrounding maritime security in the region, where commercial shipping has already been affected by the broader conflict involving Iran and its regional allies. The sharp reduction in vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb reflects the heightened risks facing shipping operators as tensions continue to reshape one of the world’s most important maritime trade corridors.
