Red Sea shipping slows after Houthi hits on Saudi Arabia

A sailor from the navy of Yemen’s Aden-based internationally recognised government stands at a machine-gun position aboard a vessel patrolling a shipping lane off Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026. | Photo Credit: AFP Ship traffic through Bab el-Mandeb fell on Sunday (July 26, 2026) after Yemeni Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast, while transit through the Strait of Hormuz stayed low over the weekend, shipping data from Kpler showed on Monday (July 27, 2026).Eleven commodity vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Sunday (July 26, 2026), the lowest level in months, the data showed.Red Sea traffic has been disrupted off the coast of Yemen since last week by the Iran-aligned Houthis, who want to blockade Saudi exports, expanding the U.S.-Iran conflict that has already choked oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz.Seven of the vessels that passed through the strait were oil tankers, with three of them entering the Red Sea. Two of them are very large crude carriers (VLCCs) heading to the port of Yanbu to load Saudi crude, while the third is a Russian-linked ship, the data showed.Four vessels exited the Red Sea on Sunday (July 26, 2026). Another ship is exiting the waterway through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.Lull in HormuzFewer than 10 commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily over the weekend even though the U.S. and Iran have paused strikes in West Asia, shipping data from Kpler showed.Seven vessels transited on Sunday (July 26, 2026), including three Iranian-linked oil products tankers that exited the strait, the data showed.On Saturday (July 25, 2026), there were only three vessels that passed through with their transponders switched off.On Friday (July 24, 2026), seven vessels passed, mostly exiting the Gulf, including two VLCCs carrying crude from Iraq and the UAE and a tanker carrying fuel oil. Published - July 27, 2026 10:58 pm IST