Tanker Traffic Plummets as Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb See Vessel Attacks
The Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb have seen a significant drop in tanker traffic due to vessel attacks. According to shipping data from Kpler, only 18 commodity vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Sunday, down from 27 on Saturday.
This is likely related to the Iran-aligned Houthis' declaration of a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20.
The Suezmax tanker Lesvos and Very Large Crude Carrier Desh Vaibhav have exited the Red Sea with their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transponders switched off. The Lesvos was carrying about 1 million barrels of Saudi crude, but its destination is unclear.
The Desh Vaibhav, on the other hand, is headed to India's Sikka port where Reliance Industries typically receives crude. It is carrying 2 million barrels of oil.