Two Key Oil Chokepoints Squeeze at Once as China-Linked Ships Get a Pass

Only one tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz on July 23 — the fewest since May 7, 2026 — as US-Iran strikes escalate. Separately, two Chinese supertankers loaded with Saudi crude passed through the Bab al-Mandeb strait on July 24 after Houthis declared a Saudi naval blockade on July 20. Beijing-aligned vessels appear exempted from the disruption.