Hormuz traffic falls as Bab el-Mandeb activity rises

A view of the vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 08, 2026. [Shadi J. H. Alassar – Anadolu Agency]

Maritime activity showed an uneven pattern across key chokepoints, as ship crossings dropped in the Strait of Hormuz while the Bab el-Mandeb strait experiences increased vessel movements. an international maritime tracker reported on Friday.

MarineTraffic data showed that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to just six confirmed crossings, which represented a 60% decrease day-on-day.

Five of the six vessels followed the Iranian Unilateral Scheme, and this highlighted the continued concentration of traffic along that specific route.

Meanwhile, the Bab el-Mandeb strait recorded 49 confirmed crossings, and this total included five sanctioned vessels, 11 shadow-fleet vessels, and four dark transits.

Several ships that previously reversed their course in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea later completed their passages, while others remained on hold.

READ: Report says Bahrain, Kuwait carried out strikes inside Iran earlier this month

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