Commercial vessel traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has declined by 56% following an embargo announced by Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement against vessels linked to Saudi Arabia, AzerNEWS reports, citing The National.
According to the information, only 15 cargo vessels passed through the strait on July 26, compared with 34 vessels on July 20, the day the blockade was announced. The vessels were mainly carrying oil, grain, and fertilizers.
The decline in shipping activity came amid Houthi claims of attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in the Saudi cities of Jizan and Yanbu.
The newspaper also reported that shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz increased on July 26 following a reduction in reciprocal attacks between the United States and Iran.
Latest Kpler data also shows 11 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, including 10 commodity vessels carrying crude oil or chemicals.