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Tankers keep sailing Red Sea despite Houthi threats as Saudi oil lifeline faces strains

Roughly a dozen oil tankers were sailing in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as of Tuesday evening, following an uptick in traffic the day before as shippers bet on new US-Iran diplomacy.

Samuel Wendel

Jul 28, 2026

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Commercial traffic continues flowing through the Red Sea’s southern choke point despite renewed Houthi threats, with ship-tracking data showing more than a dozen oil tankers sailing in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as of Tuesday evening.

This comes after shipping through the waterway rose on Monday as President Donald Trump signaled a return to negotiations to end the US-Iran war, following the collapse of a ceasefire earlier this month that once again brought traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to a near standstill. 

Still, clashes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis have added another layer of risk for a global economy attempting to absorb the loss of Gulf oil exports through Hormuz. Simultaneously, shipping operators remain cautious in the Red Sea, with many tankers transiting the Bab el-Mandeb choke point on Tuesday openly broadcasting their........

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