Shipping traffic plunges through Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb after Houthis claim attack on Saudi tanker

Published Aug 8, 06:42 PM UTC

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb strait dropped sharply on August 5, 2026, according to Kpler data. Only two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, down from eight the previous day, and just one vessel crossed the Bab-el-Mandeb, down from 20. The decline follows Houthi claims of missile attacks on a Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu and another in the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month, citing a Saudi siege on Yemen, which Riyadh denies. No Saudi confirmation of the attacks has been reported. The straits typically see 130-140 ships daily before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began in February.