The number of ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday reached the highest number since July 19, preliminary shipping data showed on Wednesday.
Thirty-nine commodity ships passed through the waterway on Tuesday, while five transited on Wednesday, according to ship-tracking data from analytics firm Kpler, with only a few transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
Two of the five ships exiting the Bab el-Mandeb on July 29 were carrying crude oil, including very large crude carrier (VLCC) Sophia and the Aframax tanker Ocean Laureate.
Separately, of the 39 ships passing through on July 28, 20 ships entered the strait while 17 exited, the data showed.
Among those exiting, three were Aframax tankers carrying crude. The Aisopos and Gustav exited to the Gulf of Aden, each carrying more than 750,000 barrels of oil, while the Karachi is carrying around 430,000 barrels of crude bound for Pakistan.
Of the ships that entered, two were tankers carrying petrochemical products. The Velos Aquarius is carrying 345,000 barrels of methyl tertiary butyl ether, a type of gasoline blendstock, for delivery to the west of Suez and the Sea Ambition is carrying nearly 93,000 barrels of chemicals bound for Türkiye.
Some ships could still be sailing with their transponders turned off.
Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday they fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, stepping up enforcement of a newly declared maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. That followed earlier attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil sites. China has held direct talks with the Houthi movement to enable its tankers to sail through the Red Sea, sources have said.
Only eight commodity ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, with five entering and three exiting, Kpler data showed, while one passed through on Wednesday so far.
VLCC Nissos Kea, currently empty, was one of the five ships entering the Strait on Tuesday.
Iran, meanwhile, has reportedly ruled out Oman's proposal for regional joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, hitting hopes of a swift diplomatic breakthrough in the war.
