Commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained constrained as operators continued to avoid the strategic waterway, while renewed Houthi strikes on a Saudi-flagged tanker highlighted growing risks along alternative export routes, maritime data showed on Tuesday.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations, which works closely with the Joint Maritime Information Center, said that the latest tracking data showed shipping flow stayed subdued.
"Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at reduced levels," according to a JMIC statement.
The maritime security agency said that limited transit windows saw only single-digit daily crossings, with most vessels using the northern Iranian-controlled corridor.
US-facilitated transits have increased marginally, while a pause in large-scale reciprocal air strikes has provided a modest improvement in operator confidence.
However, the UKMTO said that shipping companies remain cautious, with several delaying or rescheduling voyages due to security concerns.
The agency said a growing number of vessels have also transited with their Automatic Identification System signals switched off, reducing visibility and complicating efforts to monitor traffic flows.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also continued activity around Hormuz, including hailing merchant vessels, conducting unmanned aerial system overflights, and carrying out surveillance operations.
The UKMTO said that the activity underscores Tehran's efforts to maintain a visible presence and pressure ships operating with AIS transmissions active.
Though no new confirmed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait were reported during the previous 48 hours, the UKMTO said the threat level in the Middle East maritime region remained severe.
Meanwhile, traffic via the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait has continued, though security risks have risen following a confirmed Houthi attack on a Saudi-flagged tanker that was struck by an unknown projectile and caught fire, UKMTO data revealed.
The incident marked a renewed demonstration of Houthi capability and willingness to target merchant shipping linked to Saudi interests, the UKMTO said.
Houthi officials have reiterated that the group's maritime restrictions target Saudi-affiliated vessels rather than closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait itself.
"Open-source data tracking Bab el Mandeb transits with AIS-on decreased from an approximate
daily average of 50 vessels to 20 since July 24th," the JMIC statement said.
However, Kpler said that despite the heightened risks, Saudi Arabia's crude export network has proven more resilient than initially expected.
Amena Bakr, head of Middle East Energy & OPEC+ Insights at Kpler, said in an X post that Saudi exports through Bab el-Mandeb continue despite the Houthi embargo.
Bakr said June exports through Yanbu reached about 4.14 million barrels per day, while increased loadings at Egypt's Sidi Kerir terminal indicate greater utilization of the Suez-Sumed pipeline system.
The US has maintained a significant naval presence across the region as part of efforts to enforce restrictions against Iran and protect maritime routes.
The US Central Command said on X on Tuesday that over 20 US military warships are operating across the Middle East, with 18 commercial vessels redirected, two disabled, and two boarded to ensure full compliance.
The International Maritime Organization's daily Strait of Hormuz incident tracker showed the total number of confirmed maritime security incidents in the region to be 62 as of Monday.
The IMO tracker provides a daily log of verified strikes on ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began, with the earliest incident recorded on March 1.