Bab Al-Mandab shipping traffic surpasses Hormuz amid rising threats

Data from maritime analytics firm Kpler showed that 25 cargo ships carrying commodities passed through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait on Thursday, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low, with only two empty vessels transiting.

Of the ships passing Bab Al-Mandab, 18 entered the waterway and seven exited. The traffic included several oil tankers.

Meanwhile, only two empty vessels entered the Strait of Hormuz.

Some ships may still be sailing with their transponders switched off and are not included in the statistics.

As Iran and its Houthi allies target oil tankers passing through both Hormuz and Bab Al-Mandab, a drone attack on two gas carriers at Egypt's Damietta port on the Mediterranean suggests a possible new front in the conflict between the United States and Iran, raising concerns about threats to shipping through the Suez Canal.