Hormuz traffic falls as transit through Bab el-Mandeb passage increases, says data firm

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz fell by 19.5 percent last week, according to data analysis firm Kpler, with 95 vessels transiting the waterway in the week of August 10 and “reaching just three on 16 August”. Vessels used the Iranian side of the strait or undermined routes, “while no crossings were recorded through the Hormuz TSS or Omani routes”, Kpler posted on X. Meanwhile, the number of vessels using the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the region’s other major waterway, increased 6.7 percent to 254, said Kpler, despite volatile security conditions. Hormuz traffic falls as risks rise Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz weakened last week, with confirmed crossings falling 19.5% to 95 and reaching just three on 16 August. Routing also remained constrained, with vessels using the Iranian Unilateral Scheme or undetermined… pic.twitter.com/utCLZR8EeM — Kpler (@Kpler) August 17, 2026