Houthi Attacks Send Shipping Traffic Plummeting Through Bab el-Mandeb

Shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has plummeted to its lowest level in months after Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast. On Sunday, only 11 commodity vessels crossed the strategic waterway, according to data from maritime analytics firm Kpler.

Seven of these vessels were oil tankers, including three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) sailing towards the Saudi port of Yanbu to load crude oil. The third VLCC was a Russian-linked vessel.

The Houthi rebels have threatened to blockade Saudi exports as they widen their involvement in the US-Iran conflict. This has already severely curtailed oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, with fewer than 10 commodity vessels passing through on each day of the weekend.