Houthi Attacks Disrupt Shipping Through Bab al-Mandab Strait

Shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea has declined significantly following recent attacks by Yemen's Houthi militia on commercial ships and Saudi oil facilities. According to data released by energy analytics firm Kpler, only 11 commodity-laden vessels transited the strait on Sunday, the lowest daily total in months.

The data showed that seven oil tankers passed through the strait, with three of them entering the Red Sea bound for the Saudi port of Yanbu to load Saudi crude. One VLCC was linked to Russia, while another two were very large crude carriers (VLCCs) carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi and Emirati crude.

Four vessels exited the Red Sea on Sunday, including a Hong Kong-flagged VLCC New Explorer that carried 2 million barrels of Saudi and Emirati crude to the eastern Chinese port of Ningbo. Another tanker transporting 1 million barrels of Russian crude was also bound for China, while a third vessel carried about 750,000 barrels of Saudi crude to Pakistan.

The Houthi attacks have disrupted shipping through the Red Sea off Yemen and added pressure to shipping across two of the world's most important energy chokepoints.