Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb ship traffic collapses after Houthi missile claim on Saudi oil tanker

According to Oilprice.com, citing Reuters and ship tracking data, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait fell sharply on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 (14 Mordad 1405) from the previous day, as Yemen's Houthi group claimed a precise hit with ballistic missiles on the Saudi oil tanker Wafa in the Red Sea, even as hopes rose for an Iran Oman deal on jointly managing the Strait of Hormuz. Ship tracking data reviewed by Reuters showed only 2 vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, down from 8 on Tuesday. At Bab al-Mandeb, Kpler data cited by Reuters showed only one Bahamas flagged dry bulk carrier transited on Wednesday, compared with 20 vessels on Tuesday. The Middle East news outlet Al Bawaba, which carried the Houthi statement, reported the group's claim that Yemen's armed forces struck the Saudi tanker Wafa north of the Red Sea near the Yanbu area with several ballistic missiles. Maritime intelligence firm Windward said the tanker had not transmitted a location signal since July 19. Analysts at security and ship tracking firms told the BBC that shipping threats in the Gulf and the Red Sea have now reached their worst level since the Iran war began. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has nonetheless described the deal with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz as being in its final stages.