Commodity ship traffic through Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb falls below recent averages

Preliminary tracking data from Kpler indicated that only six commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, five entering and one leaving, which is lower than both the nine ships recorded the previous day and the ten-day average of about 12. The fleet included a Panamax vessel and an intermediate-size tanker, though the total could rise if ships that disabled their transponders are later identified. In the same period, the Bab el-Mandeb saw 25 commodity ships - 11 inbound and 14 outbound - also below its ten-day average of roughly 27, among them two Suezmax tankers, eight Aframaxes and a Very Large Crude Carrier.

The dip in traffic coincides with an escalation of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, highlighted by Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities, U.S. strikes on Iranian oil tankers, and an Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. These developments underline the vulnerability of key maritime chokepoints in the region. Shipping companies may adjust routes as geopolitical risks rise.