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Red Sea Traffic Plummets As U.S. and Houthis Escalate: The United States conducted its 11th consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran overnight into Wednesday, July 22, as the conflict expands beyond the Strait of Hormuz. While U.S. forces continued to target the Iranian military infrastructure used to support attacks in the waterway, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis escalated their threat to commercial shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The night saw two tankers carrying Saudi crude oil to Asia forced to reverse course in the Red Sea after the Houthis announced their blockade, while additional commercial vessels delayed their departures or altered their routes over security concerns.
With two of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints effectively closed, the strikes that occurred overnight are arguably some of the most consequential launched in modern years.
U.S. Continues Strikes As Houthis Escalate
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the latest round of strikes concluded at approximately 8:15 pm Eastern Time.
“CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” a statement reads, adding that over the past three months, Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the waterway.
“The unwarranted attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM’s statement continues.
The statement also once again sought to calm nerves among shipping companies and crews about passing through the waterway, claiming that the Strait of Hormuz “remains open for commercial vessel transit,” and adding that CENTCOM forces continue to facilitate the transit of vessels in the face of Iranian aggression.
“Despite Iranian aggression, the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Since early May, CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil,” the statement reads.
Houthis Threaten Saudi Shipping
On Monday, July 20, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree announced a new “naval blockade” against Saudi Arabia, warning that vessels trading with Saudi ports would be considered legitimate military targets. Saree claimed that the decision was being taken on the principle of an “eye for an eye,” accusing Saudi Arabia of resuming “aggression” against Yemen. He said that the Houthis would now prevent all maritime navigation to and from Saudi ports – and, without saying it explicitly, confirmed that the Iranian proxy group would ramp up the pressure against the United States and Gulf states as Washington continues to strike Iranian targets.
According to available vessel tracking data, at least five commercial ships altered course in the Red Sea in the 24 hours that followed. Three tankers carrying Saudi crude oil bound for customers in India and China reversed course before reaching the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while other vessels either remained at anchor or awaited fresh instructions from their operators. Two additional tankers diverted north toward the Suez Canal rather than continuing south along Yemen’s coastline.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded to the news by accusing Iran of enabling the Houthi campaign and warning that threatening commercial shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait endangered global energy supplies and international trade.
The assessment is, of course, correct – but that’s precisely why the Houthis are doing it, and why the regime in Tehran supports it.
Rubio also accused Iran on Wednesday, July 22, of flying members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into Yemen, citing it as evidence that Tehran deliberately encouraged a new confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels.
“They decided to send direct flights from Tehran into Yemen, carrying IRGC elements and others into the country,” Rubio said. “And the Saudis responded to it.”
Traffic Slows to A Trickle
The Iran-U.S. and Houthi-Saudi Arabia conflicts are proving disastrous for global oil and shipping, with the latest vessel tracking data showing that commercial operators are treating both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb Strait as active conflict zones – regardless of what CENTCOM says about the former being open.
According to ship tracking firm Kpler, only three commodity-carrying vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, July 21, down from four on Monday. Cargo vessel Kaiser left the strait, and the H7 SMB8 entered the Persian Gulf carrying no cargo. The Hsin Ocean, which carried refined palm olein, also entered. No very large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers were recorded making the crossing, suggesting that oil prices could soon spike again unless the waterways are opened.
Other data cited by The Wall Street Journal recorded just nine crossings through Hormuz on Tuesday, while traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb also fell to 29 crossings, down from 44 two days earlier and significantly below the 65-72 daily crossings that were recorded before the Red Sea shipping crisis began.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
