Source Reuter
SANAA / DUBAI — Commercial vessel transit through vital Middle Eastern waterways plummeted to historic lows this week following new claims by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement that it executed ballistic missile strikes on Saudi oil tankers in both the northern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The sharp drop in maritime traffic across the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait highlights compounding security risks that threaten to disrupt global energy supply lines.
Escalating Maritime Attacks
In televised and social media statements, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for targeted missile strikes against two Saudi-linked vessels:
The Wafa: Struck off the port city of Yanbu in the northern Red Sea.
The Daisy: Targeted in the Gulf of Aden and reportedly forced to reverse course.
Saree framed the operations under a “blockade for blockade” strategy. Houthi officials assert that their maritime campaign has targeted eight Saudi oil ships since July 22 and forced 29 others to turn back or alter routes in the Red and Arabian Seas. While Saudi authorities have not officially confirmed the strikes, maritime security monitors, including the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), confirmed reports of explosions near vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz.
Impact on Key Maritime Routes
Vessel tracking data from maritime analytics firm Kpler revealed a near-total paralysis of commercial transits through primary regional chokepoints:
Chokepoint Normal Pre-Conflict TrafficRecent Transit Count impact
Strait of Hormuz~130–140 ships / day2 vessels~98% drop in commercial passage
Bab-el-Mandeb
Broader Economic Implications
The maritime disruption comes amidst heightened geopolitical volatility across the Middle East. With shipping lines rerouting around Africa or pausing transits altogether, marine insurance premiums have spiked sharply, driving Brent crude oil prices upward and raising concerns over persistent global inflation.
In response to the mounting crisis, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of regional allies announced efforts to establish a joint naval defense alliance aimed at restoring security along key commercial corridors, including the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
