Bab al-Mandab sees passage of 25 ships carrying raw materials, while traffic at Hormuz remains weak

Data from Kpler, a maritime shipping analytics firm, showed that 25 cargo vessels carrying bulk commodities transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low, with only two tankers passing through.

Of the ships that transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait, 18 entered the waterway and seven exited. The traffic included several oil tankers.

Some vessels may still be underway after turning off their transponders, and these ships are not included in the statistics.

As Iran and its allies, the Houthis, target oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a drone attack on two gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta on the Mediterranean Sea suggests the opening of a potential new front in the conflict between the United States and Iran, raising the prospect of threats to navigation through the Suez Canal.