37 ships passed Bab el-Mandeb Tuesday, highest since July 19

On Tuesday, preliminary shipping data indicated that 37 commodity vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait, marking the highest daily count since July 19. Only a limited number of ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the same day.

According to ship-tracking information from analytics firm Kpler, 20 vessels entered the Bab el-Mandeb, while 17 exited. None of these were very large crude carriers (VLCCs) or liquefied natural gas tankers. Among those leaving the strait, three were laden Aframax crude tankers: the Aisopos and Gustav each carried over 750,000 barrels of oil to the Gulf of Aden, while the Karachi transported roughly 430,000 barrels destined for Pakistan. Of the ships entering, two carried petrochemical products. The Velos Aquarius held 345,000 barrels of methyl tertiary butyl ether—a gasoline blendstock—for delivery west of Suez, and the Sea Ambition carried nearly 93,000 barrels of chemicals bound for Turkey.

Sources reported that China has engaged in direct negotiations with the Houthi movement to secure safe passage for its tankers through the Red Sea.

In contrast, only five commodity ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to Kpler data—three entering and two exiting. The VLCC Nissos Kea, currently empty, was among those entering. Meanwhile, Oman has put forward a proposal to Iran for joint regional management of the strait, with shipping firms paying voluntary fees. However, a U.S. official stated that no tolls or fees for transit through the strait would be included in any coordination deal currently under discussion.