Bab el-Mandeb crossings
At the chokepoint of Bab el-Mandeb on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, 19 commodity vessels transited on Monday (August 16, 2026), Kpler data showed, lower than a 10-day moving average of 26 and Sunday’s (August 15, 2026) 33 crossings.
Out of the 19 ships, five were entering the Red Sea and 14 were exiting.
Of the 14 exits, one was the VLCC Norns laden with 2 million barrels of oil, according to the data,
Ship crossings via the Strait of Hormuz were still in single digits on Monday (August 17, 2026), despite rising slightly from the weekend, according to preliminary shipping data on Tuesday (August 18, 2026), amid a stalemate in U.S. and Iranian peace negotiations.
Six commodity ships transited the strait on Monday (August 17, 2026), of which three were exiting the Gulf and three were entering, Kpler shiptracking data showed, compared with the 10-day average of 11 ships. Three ships transited on Saturday (August 15, 2026) while two moved through the waterway on Sunday (August 16, 2026).
West Asia war updates on August 18, 2026
There were no highly large crude carriers (VLCC) or tankers carrying liquefied natural gas passing through.
The highly large gas carrier (VLGC) Xavia entered the strait via the Iranian route under ballast, meaning empty of a cargo, according to the data. VLGCs are typically employed to ship liquefied petroleum gases such as propane and butane.
A medium-range fuel tanker and an intermediate-range tanker also entered the Gulf, the data demonstrated. Of the ships entering, two were the liquid tankers Admiral and Portofino, with the Portofino loaded with diesel bound for west of Suez markets.
Published – August 18, 2026 11:48 am IST
Related stories
UN atomic watchdog says found tonnes of nuclear material at Syria site
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday its inspectors had found several tonnes of nuclear material in Syria, at a site…
BWF World Championships: Lakshya avoids scare against World No 128
NEW DELHI: As Lakshya Sen entered the court on Tuesday, the home crowd let out a huge roar at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium…
Turkey's Erdogan signs law offering conditional pardon for thousands of PKK militants
It would suspend certain prison sentences for convicted PKK members and postpone ongoing investigations and trials against others for five or 10 years, depending…
Stolen Thirumangai Alwar bronze idol returns to Kumbakonam temple after nearly 70…
On February 12, 2020, the Idol Wing-CID registered a case on a complaint, filed by the executive officer of the Sri Soundararaja Perumal Temple, of the theft…