Shipping traffic slows in Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb after Houthis say they attacked Saudi tanker

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait significantly decreased on Wednesday following claims by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis that they attacked Saudi oil tankers. Data from Kpler showed only two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, down from eight the previous day, and one vessel crossed the Bab el-Mandeb, a sharp decline from 20. The Houthis stated they launched missile attacks on a Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu and another in the Gulf of Aden, though Saudi Arabia has not confirmed these incidents. This slowdown occurs amidst a Houthi naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, imposed last month in response to an alleged Saudi siege on Yemen, which Riyadh denies.