Key facts
- Kuwait condemned Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, calling them a violation of international law.
- Ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait fell to 11 commodity vessels on Sunday.
- The Houthis claimed responsibility for striking Saudi oil facilities in Jizan and Yanbu.
- Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low over the weekend, with fewer than 10 commodity vessels passing daily.
Kuwait has condemned the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, specifically denouncing the strike on the Saudi vessel NCC MASA as a "flagrant violation of international law" and a threat to maritime security and international trade. The ministry stated its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and backed all measures the kingdom is taking to protect its sovereignty and security.
Ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a key maritime route, fell to 11 commodity vessels on Sunday, the lowest level in months, following the attacks. Seven of these vessels were oil tankers, with three entering the Red Sea, including two very large crude carriers (VLCCs) heading to Yanbu to load Saudi crude. Four vessels exited the Red Sea, including a Hong Kong-flagged VLCC carrying Saudi and Emirati crude for China, a tanker with Russian crude for China, and a tanker with Saudi crude for Pakistan.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group struck sites belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco in Jizan and Yanbu on Saturday. Red Sea traffic has been disrupted off the coast of Yemen since last week by the Tehran-aligned Houthis, who aim to blockade Saudi exports.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low over the weekend, with fewer than 10 commodity vessels passing daily, despite a pause in strikes in the Middle East. Seven vessels transited on Sunday, including three Iranian-linked oil product tankers exiting the Strait.