NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) — The number of vessels that passed through Bab el-Mandeb, a crucial trade route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, rose to 28 on Monday, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low, according to Kpler shipping data, amid optimism about a potential resolution to the US-Iran conflict.

The vital strait, which links to the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal, has taken on increased strategic importance in recent months following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. However, concerns had risen in recent days that Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels could shut the waterway, blocking Gulf energy supplies from reaching world ports.

Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which passes between Yemen and Djibouti, was still below the month’s daily peak of 46 vessels recorded on July 14, the data showed.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington’s negotiations with Iran were progressing and could lead to a resolution after hostilities resumed earlier this month. But he also warned that military action, which paused over the weekend, could restart if the talks collapsed.

The threats followed disputes regarding Iran’s attacks on US ships. Iran issued similar comments about retaliation.

Of the 12 vessels that entered the Red Sea on Monday, four were oil tankers, according to........

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