Key Oil Chokepoints in Mideast Face Disruption as Threats Mount Shipping disruptions in key Middle East chokepoints intensified as the US-Iran war grinds on, with vessels in the Red Sea making unusual maneuvers, while visible traffic through the Strait of Hormuz sank. (Bloomberg) — Shipping disruptions in key Middle East chokepoints intensified as the US-Iran war grinds on, with vessels in the Red Sea making unusual maneuvers, while visible traffic through the Strait of Hormuz sank. In the Red Sea, at least one vessel u-turned to head north toward the Suez Canal, while others paused their journeys, maritime-tracking data showed. The voyage shifts follow threats from the Tehran-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen to fully blockade all ships calling at Saudi Arabia’s ports. tap here to see other videos from our team. Back to video In the Strait of Hormuz — which links the Persian Gulf to global markets — only three commodity vessels were observed transiting on Tuesday, Kpler tracking data showed. That’s the lowest daily count since early May. Early Wednesday, the waterway remained deserted, with no observable traffic. Global energy markets are on edge as the conflict between the US and Iran reignites, with both sides trading tit-for-tat strikes for more than a week. At the heart of concerns are signs that exports via the Red Sea — a crucial conduit for Saudi flows rerouted from the Persian Gulf — are now at risk given the Houthi threat. Brent futures have spiked more than quarter this month. The Houthi militant group in Yemen is ready to attack shipping from positions near the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, according to a global monitoring body for naval security. “The Houthis have completed preparations to attack shipping, including the deployment of missiles and drones,” the Joint Maritime Information Center said in an alert late Tuesday, citing sources it did not identify. In the Red Sea, liquefied petroleum gas tanker Gas King switched to sailing out of the region via the Suez Canal, after picking up a cargo from the Saudi port of Yanbu. Initially, the very large gas carrier — which appears to be heading for Japan — had been sailing south, only to u-turn. It’s unusual for Asia-bound vessels within the Red Sea to head north given that route entails far higher costs because of the longer voyage around the African continent, plus additional fees to transit the Suez Canal. Separately, supertanker New Explorer, carrying Saudi oil and bound for Singapore, appears to be idling in the Red Sea after picking up a cargo from Yanbu, the data show. It’s unclear why the 2025-built vessel has come to a near-stop, with its current status showing “not under command”. In addition, an Aframax vessel, Lahore, also came to a halt after receiving a Saudi cargo. Earlier this week, a handful of oil tankers were seen pausing and u-turning from their planned routes, after several shipowners received an email from the Houthi rebels warning against calling at Saudi ports. Still, one of those vessels, Xin Long Yang, has since reverted to its original route, and is now sailing toward Bab el-Mandeb. News Taxes - Advertisement 1Story continues below FP Comment Innovation Financial Times In the Red Sea, loadings at the Saudi port of Yanbu — which receives crude flows from Persian Gulf fields via the kingdom’s East-West pipeline — appeared to continue Wednesday, with some tankers signaling that they’re berthed at the facility. On Tuesday, some Asian buyers of Saudi oil were still sending tankers into the Red Sea in the hopes of picking up their cargoes. In the days ahead of the Houthi threat, the kingdom had exported record volumes of crude from its terminals on the Red Sea, shipping out 5.9 million barrels a day from the two terminals at Yanbu in the week up to July 17, according to tanker tracking compiled by Bloomberg.
Key Oil Chokepoints in Mideast Face Disruption as Threats Mount Shipping disruptions in key Middle East chokepoints intensified as the US-Iran war grinds on, with vessels in the Red Sea making unusual maneuvers, while visible traffic through the Strait of Hormuz sank. (Bloomberg)…
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US President Donald Trump stated on July 13 and July 22 that the United States was considering strikes on an Iranian underground facility referred to as Pickaxe Mountain. These remarks were made during an ongoing US-Iran conflict that began February 28, involving reported US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Some details, including specific targets and outcomes, remain unverified.
Oil prices rose to a near six-week high on Wednesday, with Brent crude surpassing $95 a barrel, on mounting concerns about disruptions to Middle Eastern supply routes because of escalating hostilities between the U.S. and Iran and threats to shipping by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.
Brent crude futures were up $3.82, or 4.2%, at $94.83 a barrel at 0938 GMT after hitting a session high of $95.24. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $3.65, or 4.33%, to $87.99. Both benchmarks touched their highest levels since June 11. The U.
S. military said it carried out an 11th consecutive night of attacks on Iran. The U.S. attacks came a short while after the Kuwaiti army said its air defences were intercepting Iranian drones. As well as the renewed conflict over control of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iran-aligned Houthis have opened a new front in the war by threatening to target vessels carrying Saudi oil in the Bab el-Mandeb strait and announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia.
"The energy market now has the dual-strait worry, with the Bab el-Mandeb Strait looking like it could join the Strait of Hormuz as a hot spot, as traders closely watch shipping numbers in the Red Sea," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
Bab el-Mandeb at the southern entrance to the Red Sea has become an increasingly important route for Saudi Arabian crude exports as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply again since a ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed earlier this month.
Three oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea on Tuesday, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than braving the Yemeni coast. "The (Houthi) threat has led tankers to divert which could further pressure the physical market and Saudi exports, contributing to push prices to the upside," said Frank Walbaum, market analyst at trading platform Naga.
com. In response to the Houthi warnings, Asian refiners are seeking to ship crude oil from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu through the Suez Canal and around Africa. While global oil stockpiles have drawn amid the conflict, the latest U.S. data is showing some building of inventories.
Data from the American Petroleum Institute showed that U.S. crude and distillate inventories rose last week, while gasoline stockpiles fell, market sources said. The inventory data comes ahead of official figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday.
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Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters stated that any US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would be treated as an escalation, resulting in attacks on US and allied interests across the region. The statement references a June 18 memorandum of understanding that ended an earlier conflict and notes subsequent US strikes beginning July 8, which the US Central Command attributed to Iranian interference with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz while Iran described them as violations prompting its own responses.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has advised air operators to avoid Gulf airspace until at least July 29, 2026. Travelers were directed to consult insurance providers on policy conditions, including potential exclusions tied to government advisories or conflict, and to confirm flight status with operators.
Reports cited US strikes in multiple Iranian locations including Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Konarak, Kurdistan, Sirik, Tabriz, and Hamadan, while an advisory stated that Iran had targeted US interests and issued warnings regarding civilian infrastructure such as airports and desalination facilities.