Red Sea shipping traffic drops sharply amid escalating maritime attacks

Commercial shipping traffic through the Bab al-Mandab strait fell to a multi-month low following Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, according to Kpler data. Only eleven commercial vessels transited the key waterway on Sunday, reflecting growing disruption across regional trade routes.

The decline follows a series of security incidents across Middle Eastern and East African sea lanes. In the Red Sea, the Saudi-flagged tanker NCC Masa sustained minor hull damage in a recent attack before resuming its journey. Nearby, Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden continue to hold a hijacked vessel with eight German citizens on board.

Separately, Iranian media reported that an oil tanker exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after straying from its route and striking a sea mine. In a further escalation, Tehran accused Ukraine of launching a fatal strike against an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea.

Sources: Die Presse, ORF, Tagesschau