Oil and Metals
Bab el-Mandeb cargo transits fall to 14 amid Houthi blockade
Daily Bab el-Mandeb cargo transits fell to 14 on September 26, the Joint Maritime Information Center reported on September 27. The center confirmed no attacks occurred during the period, though it kept the threat level at substantial.
Why it mattersSailors remain in danger because authorities warn that new strikes on vessels are still very likely.
How we got here
- The Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi-affiliated shipping transiting Bab el-Mandeb. Gov
- Mohamed al-Bukhaiti stated the Houthis were targeting only Saudi Arabia, not the United States or other nations in the strait. AP
- JMIC noted no confirmed attacks, reported shipping traffic remained depressed, and retained a substantial threat level. UKMTO
- Houthi forces captured Mocha, Dhubab, Perim Island, and nearby islands, consolidating control over Yemen's Red Sea coast. UKMTO
What's likely next
- Italy was preparing an independent naval mission to protect Italian commercial vessels; the cited September 17 report gave no deployment date.
All coverage
The coverage
- A new flash point in the Iran war: The narrow strait called the ‘Gate of Tears’Los Angeles Times · Sep 27
- EU’s Kallas Says Two Countries May Send Ships to Counter HouthisGcaptain · Sep 28
- EU Needs More Ships for Red Sea; European Navies Adjust Hormuz DeploymentsUSNI News · Sep 28
- Microsoft Word - Update 100 JMIC Advisory Note 27 September -FINALUKMTO
- 2026-013-Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Somali Basin-Houthi Attacks on Commercial VesselsGov
Analysis & opinion
- Another Hormuz? What to Know About the Houthi Threat to the Red SeaCouncil on Foreign Relations · Sep 28
- Houthi Leverage over the Red Sea Escalates Threats for AfricaAfrica Center for Strategic Studies · Sep 22
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