Ship traffic plunges through Bab el-Mandeb after Houthi strikes on Saudi oil sites

Ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait fell to its lowest level in months on Sunday after Yemen’s Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast, while transit through the Strait of Hormuz remained severely restricted over the weekend, shipping data showed Monday. Only 11 commodity vessels passed through Bab el-Mandeb on Sunday, according to data from maritime analytics firm Kpler. Traffic off Yemen’s coast has been disrupted since last week by the Iran-backed Houthis, who have threatened to blockade Saudi exports as they widen their involvement in the U.S.-Iran conflict. The fighting has already sharply curtailed oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Seven of the vessels that crossed Bab el-Mandeb on Sunday were oil tankers, including three that entered the Red Sea. Two were very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, sailing toward the Saudi port of Yanbu to load crude oil.