Houthi Blockade Threat and US-Iran Conflict Disrupt Global Oil Shipping

Disruptions to oil tanker traffic in two of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints have intensified as the US-Iran conflict continues and Yemen's Houthi militants threaten to fully blockade vessels calling at Saudi Arabian ports.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to global markets, saw its lowest daily count of commodity vessel traffic since early May on Tuesday, with only three vessels observed transiting. By Wednesday morning, no observable traffic was detected in the waterway.

In the Red Sea, tankers made unusual maneuvers, including reversing course or coming to a near-stop, according to Kpler tracking data. At least one vessel reversed course northward toward the Suez Canal, while others simply stopped mid-journey. The Houthi threat and ongoing US-Iran conflict are driving these disruptions.

The Joint Maritime Information Center issued an alert warning that 'the Houthis have completed preparations to attack shipping, including the deployment of missiles and drones.' Several shipowners received direct email warnings from Houthi rebels telling them not to call at Saudi ports, prompting immediate routing changes across multiple vessels.