Strait of Hormuz Traffic Collapses to Single Tanker as Houthis Let Chinese Ships Pass Bab al-Mandeb

Only one tanker transited the Strait of Hormuz on July 23 — the lowest since May 7, 2026 — as US-Iran strikes intensify. Meanwhile, two Chinese supertankers carrying Saudi crude exited the Bab al-Mandeb strait on July 24, after Houthis announced a Saudi naval blockade on July 20. Two of the world's vital oil corridors are now squeezed simultaneously, with Beijing-aligned vessels apparently exempted.