ChokepointsAnalysis
Bab al-Mandab transits show conflicting data as Houthis take coast
Houthi statement reports 73 vessels in 48 hours while Kpler data shows Friday crossings fell to 15 from 30 the previous day.
Houthi statement reports 73 vessels in 48 hours#
Yemen's Houthi group said 73 international vessels crossed Bab al-Mandab Strait in the 48 hours to Saturday, with 36 transiting on Thursday and 37 on Friday, according to a statement released through Houthi-run al-Masirah TV. The group said the figure represented 98.6 percent of average daily traffic recorded before it imposed a ban on Saudi vessels on 20 July 2026. The statement said international navigation remained free and safe, while Saudi vessels remained excluded. The group consolidated control over Yemen's western coast and key areas around the strait on Friday, following its capture of the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday.
Kpler data shows Friday Bab al-Mandab crossings fell to 15#
Preliminary data from Kpler shows total ship crossings in Bab al-Mandab Strait fell to 15 on Friday, down from 30 on Thursday. Of Friday's total, six vessels exited the Red Sea and nine entered, carrying crude, grains and steel, with three in ballast. The drop follows the Houthis' seizure of Perim Island, also known as Mayyun, which sits at the centre of the waterway. The group also took control of the port city of Mokha on Thursday and Dhubab along the coast, giving it monitoring capability over ship movements along the Red Sea.
Perim Island control increases monitoring capability#
Perim Island lies at the centre of Bab al-Mandab Strait, the waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Whoever controls the island has an advantage in tracking vessels entering or leaving the Red Sea and those sailing towards the Suez Canal, moving between Asia, the Gulf and Europe. Arsenio Longo, founder of tanker movement analytics specialists Huax, said Dhubab and Perim matter more for shipping than Mocha. The Houthis already had missile and drone range over the strait, and moving further south puts them closer to vessels entering and leaving the waterway.
Oil prices closed week above $100 per barrel#
Brent crude closed the week at $104.60 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate traded at $100 per barrel. Oil prices rose to nearly $110 per barrel earlier in the week as the Houthis began taking control of key areas along the Red Sea. Strait of Hormuz vessel transits rose to 14 on Friday from seven on Thursday, with 10 exiting and four entering the waterway, Kpler data shows. The Strait of Hormuz was used to transport more than 20 million barrels of oil per day before conflict broke out in February 2026, with current estimates at about 10 million barrels per day.
Sources2 sources across 2 domains
- thenationalnews.comThe NationalKpler data showing Friday crossings at 15 down from 30 on Thursday, Perim Island seizure, Brent at $104.60 and WTI at $100, Hormuz transits at 14 on Friday
- hellenicshippingnews.comHellenic Shipping NewsHouthi statement reporting 73 vessels in 48 hours, 36 on Thursday and 37 on Friday, 98.6 percent of pre-embargo average, Saudi vessel ban date of 20 July
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MENA Trade Monitor is published by Arabian Media Network. Pieces are produced by the Chokepoint Watch with AI-assisted synthesis of the cited sources and automated verification against the network's editorial policy. Every piece carries a desk rather than a reporter. Corrections are recorded on the piece and on the corrections page.
Transits, closures, advisories, war risk premia and rerouting cost for Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and Suez. Same day, same shape, always numbers.