Iran's allies block key regional shipping route
Photo: The situation in the Middle East continues to escalate (Getty Images)
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has dropped sharply after the Yemeni Houthis claimed to have attacked a Saudi tanker, according to Reuters.
On August 5, only one merchant ship, a dry cargo vessel flying the flag of the Bahamas, passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. By comparison, 20 ships had traveled this route the day before.
On the same day, the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis claimed to have launched missile strikes against two Saudi oil tankers—one near the port city of Yanbu on the Red Sea and the other in the Gulf of Aden.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia has not officially confirmed any of these incidents. Last month, the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, claiming it was in response to an alleged Saudi blockade of Yemen. Riyadh denies these accusations.
As for the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, only two vessels were recorded there on August 5:
- Panamanian-flagged cargo ship carrying coal, which was entering the strait
- Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship, which was leaving it.
In fact, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has decreased fourfold over the past 24 hours.
Iran is threatening to launch attacks on Persian Gulf countries if the US resumes strikes in the region.
In addition, Trump announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump recently stated that the US was preparing for the largest-scale attack since World War II. The US planned to strike Iran specifically.
