The US Central Command said as of Monday it had redirected eight commercial vessels as part of its ongoing naval blockade against Iranian ports, as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb continued to constrain global oil shipping.
"As of July 21, US forces have redirected 8 commercial vessels and disabled 1 to fully enforce the blockade," Centcom said in an X post on Tuesday.
The development comes as shipping through two of the world's most important oil chokepoints remains under severe pressure. MarineTraffic said that simultaneous disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb could have a major impact on global crude supply.
US forces have helped facilitate the movement of about 900 commercial vessels carrying about 450 million barrels of crude oil through the region's key shipping lanes since May.
"A simultaneous and prolonged disruption of Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz could affect maritime routes carrying approximately one-quarter of global oil supply," MarineTraffic said.
MarineTraffic data showed that verified transits averaged about 41 vessels per day between July 15 and July 20, about 43% below the 2023 peak of 72 transits per day.
Loadings through Bab el-Mandeb declined 34% in two weeks, from 29.58 million barrels to 19.50 mmbbl, MarineTraffic said.
Any confirmed strikes are likely to push dirty tanker freight higher, raising war-risk premiums and disrupting near-term crude deliveries, MarineTraffic said, noting that crude is the main commodity at risk.
"Crude flows through Bab el-Mandeb reached 193.78 mmbbl in June 2026, as Saudi Arabia redirected more exports from Ras Tanura to Yanbu," it said.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia's "Hormuz workaround" sends up to 17.5 million metric tons per month through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which the Houthis are threatening to close.
According to MarineTraffic data, the first operational response to heightened security risks in the Red Sea is now visible. Two laden crude tankers, a Singapore-flagged vessel initially sailing to China and a Liberia-flagged vessel bound for India, altered their planned voyages after departing Saudi Arabia.
According to Kpler, these diversions could be an early indication of broader changes in tanker trade flows ahead.
"If Saudi crude exports from Yanbu to Asia increasingly avoid the Bab el Mandeb Strait, cargoes would likely transit via the Suez Canal and the Cape of Good Hope, substantially increasing voyage distances and almost tripling tonne mile demand," Kpler said in an X post.
Kpler strategists noted that Suez draft regulations would favor Suezmax tankers, forcing many Very Large Crude Carriers to transit with partial loads.
Longer voyages would, in turn, tighten tanker availability, push freight markets higher and increase delivered crude costs for Asian refiners.
"If diversions become more widespread, freight economics could begin to reshape global crude trade flows," Kpler said.
Asian countries face the greatest risk. India received 15,378 kilotons through the strait in June, while South Korean and Japanese liquid imports rose to 38.6 mmbbls and 26.8 mmbbls, respectively, MarineTraffic data revealed.
MarineTraffic strategists noted that while the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remained open, traffic was operating well below normal.
Meanwhile, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained subdued on Tuesday, with 15 confirmed crossings recorded, according to Windward Maritime data.
The subdued traffic comes after the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported two separate incidents involving commercial vessels in the region.
UKMTO said a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, off the Omani coast, had reported being struck by an unknown projectile, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel and board lifeboats.
The UK maritime agency said in a separate incident that a vessel reported being struck by an unknown projectile, causing damage to its steering gear.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also claimed to have stopped "two non-compliant oil tankers" attempting to pass through the "unsafe southern route of the Strait of Hormuz" after explosions caused fires on the vessels.
The incidents add to growing uncertainty among ship operators navigating the Persian Gulf region amid heightened military tensions between the US and Iran.