Hormuz transits fall to 10 as tanker attack, Red Sea tensions disrupt shipping

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained subdued on July 21, with just 10 vessel transits recorded, down from 16 a day earlier, as security concerns intensified following an attack on a tanker near Oman and continued US military strikes on Iran, according to S&P Global report.

The decline came after the medium-range tanker KAIFAN, owned by Kuwait Petroleum Corp., was attacked about eight nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman. The vessel sustained damage and was abandoned, while two crew members were reported injured. The tanker was last observed in the Gulf of Oman on June 10.

Separately, the US Central Command said it had carried out its 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting military operations centres, maritime assets, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and other military infrastructure.

According to the vessel-tracking data, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on July 21 comprised three landing craft, three cargo ships, two bulk carriers, one product tanker and one aggregates carrier. Four vessels were assessed as compliant with the prevailing maritime restrictions.

Of the 10 vessels, five were outbound, including the bulk carrier RICH GLORY, which was the only vessel to transit the strait without visible tracking signals during the day. The remaining vessels were inbound.

Beyond the Strait of Hormuz, a total of 48 vessels crossed the US naval blockade on July 21, with 22 heading inbound towards the Gulf of Oman and the remainder outbound. Among them were two vessels classified as non-compliant—an LPG carrier and a small tanker.

Bab el-Mandeb traffic falls nearly 30%

Shipping activity through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait also weakened sharply after Yemen's Houthi rebels threatened to impose a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabian ports in the Red Sea.

Total vessel crossings fell to 29 on July 21 from 41 the previous day, marking a decline of nearly 30%. Tanker traffic accounted for most of the slowdown, with crossings dropping to seven from 16 on July 20, indicating an early shipping response to the Houthi announcement.

S&P Global said the lower traffic was accompanied by signs of growing operational caution among shipowners. Several vessels that had departed Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port and initially sailed south towards Bab el-Mandeb later reversed course and headed north through the Suez Canal instead.

Among them were RODOS and GAS KING, all of which altered course after leaving Yanbu. XIN LONG YANG also briefly turned north before resuming its southbound voyage towards Bab el-Mandeb, with China listed as its destination.

Meanwhile, LAHORE, currently indicating Karachi as its destination, significantly reduced speed after departing Yanbu and remained stationary in the Red Sea, suggesting continued caution among shipowners.

First LNG transit since March

Despite the heightened security risks, July 21 marked the first LNG carrier transit through Bab el-Mandeb since March 2026.

The LNG carrier GASLOG SALEM, after discharging a Nigerian cargo in Bangladesh and spending around a week off Sri Lanka, proceeded towards the Red Sea. S&P Global noted that the voyage appeared unrelated to Saudi LNG exports and was therefore likely less exposed to the immediate risks stemming from the Houthi embargo threat.

The report also highlighted Saudi Arabia's growing reliance on Red Sea export infrastructure since tensions escalated around the Strait of Hormuz.

Crude oil loadings from Yanbu averaged 4.1 million barrels per day (bpd) in June, compared with just 0.8 million bpd in February before the crisis began. Loadings have remained elevated at 3.8 million bpd so far in July, accounting for about 76% of Saudi Arabia's total crude exports during the month.

According to S&P Global, the shift underscores Saudi Arabia's increasing dependence on the East-West Pipeline and Red Sea export routes. Any disruption to shipping through Bab el-Mandeb could force Asia-bound crude cargoes onto longer routes, increasing voyage times, freight costs, and tanker utilisation.