Bab el-Mandeb vessel traffic drops sharply following Houthi attacks

The number of ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has dropped sharply following attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities along the Red Sea coast, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Reuters, citing data from ship-tracking company Kpler, only 11 cargo vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Sunday, marking the lowest daily total in recent months. The report also noted that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at a subdued level over the weekend.

Following Houthi strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in the Saudi cities of Yanbu and Jazan, shipping along the Red Sea route has become increasingly difficult. As a result, prices for physical crude oil cargoes in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa have climbed to their highest levels in the past two months.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a critical chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It serves as a vital corridor for global energy exports and international trade, with millions of barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products passing through the waterway each day.

Earlier, the Saudi-led military alliance opposing the Houthis said it bombed Houthi military positions on Friday in the Houthi-controlled Red ?Sea port of Hodeidah.