Shipping monitor MarineTraffic’s data shows that only nine vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, compared to 29 crossings in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea

“Over 20 to 21 July, Hormuz recorded 22 crossings, with 16 using the Iranian Unilateral Scheme, while Bab el Mandeb handled 73 crossings,” the monitor adds.

“Vessel behaviour is also shifting, with four verified U-turns near the Gulf of Aden following heightened security threats. Combined with 61 confirmed maritime incidents reported by the IMO, the data suggests that geopolitical risk is increasingly influencing routing decisions, even as commercial traffic continues.”