China- and Greece-linked vessels dominate last month’s Bab el Mandeb transits
- Elevated representation of larger companies maintained since March
- Some Red Sea returners undeterred by resurgent violence
- Too early to understand impact following Houthis’ July attacks
Houthis say 64 owners have been notified over so-called sanctions violations regarding Israel naval blockade, threatening to attack vessels within these fleets
THE FLEET profile of Bab el Mandeb users has not changed over the past several months, but more time is needed to fully understand the impact of the double Houthi attack that took place at the start of July.
Vessels affiliated with China and Greece, either through flag or ownership, continue to be highly represented.
According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence data, these ships accounted for 27% and 18% of transits through the southern Red Sea chokepoint last month, respectively.
There was a resurgence in Greece-affiliated traffic in March as some owners and operators began testing the waters after a prolonged period of relative stability in the Red Sea.
That month there were 161 transits, up from 112 in February. A total of 165 transits were recorded in July 2025.
There was a 40% decrease in transits of Greece-affiliated vessels in the two weeks following the Houthi attacks on Greece-owned bulk carriers Magic Seas (IMO: 9736169) and Eternity C. (IMO: 9588249), but transits are not unusually low and still within the “new normal” range.
There was a broader drop in traffic volumes in the weeks following the attacks. Some 392 transits recorded from July 14 to July 27, down 18% from 479 in the two weeks prior.
It is too early to tell if this is an anomaly or a sustained downward trend, as the numbers are not unusually low.
Lloyd’s List has found evidence that several companies that have resumed Bab el Mandeb transits in the last six months after diverting around the Cape of Good Hope are continuing to send ships through despite the July 6 and 7 attacks.
Further, larger owners and operators are continuing to use the beleaguered international shipping lane at higher levels than what has been seen throughout the crisis.
The fleet passing through the Bab el Mandeb consisted of 106 large companies in July. This figure was 91 in December.
More data is needed to assess whether the violence in early July and renewed Houthi threats are impacting decisions to voyage through the southern Red Sea.
Last night the Houthis, via the Humanitarian Operations Co-ordination Center, sent an email to media agencies saying the group had sent sanctions notices to 64 companies that own vessels “that violated the naval blockade imposed on the Israeli enemy”.
The Houthis said that it is not just vessels that are calling to Israel’s ports that are at risk, but all vessels with each sanctioned owner’s fleet.
The 64 companies were not named, nor has the Houthis’ online sanctions list been updated.
The militant group further warned that sanctions could be expanded to include entities that engage with those on their list.
In its latest update, the Joint Maritime Information Centre advised companies and operators planning to transit the Bab el Mandeb to conduct thorough assessments of their business structure and previous voyages to identify any associations that could put vessels at risk.
