World's Oil Shipping Lanes Narrow as China-Linked Ships Get Through

On July 23, just one oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea route critical to global oil supply — the lowest count since May 7, 2026, as fighting between the US and Iran worsens. Meanwhile, two Chinese tankers carrying Saudi oil crossed another key route, the Bab al-Mandeb strait, on July 24, after Yemen's Houthi militants declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20. Ships tied to China appear to be spared the disruption.