Beirut: Maritime traffic showed sharply diverging patterns at two of the world's most strategically important shipping chokepoints, with crossings through Bab al-Mandeb significantly outnumbering those through the Strait of Hormuz, according to MarineTraffic data.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Strait of Hormuz recorded 29 verified crossings between July 24 and 26, including 21 vessels exiting the Middle East Gulf and eight entering, MarineTraffic said through the US social media company X on Monday. Routing was evenly divided, with 14 vessels using the Iranian Unilateral Scheme and another 14 classified as 'Route Undetermined.' One vessel used the Hormuz Traffic Separation Scheme.

By comparison, Bab al-Mandeb recorded 100 verified crossings during the same period, with 51 vessels entering the Red Sea and 49 exiting. Ninety vessels followed the Traffic Separation Scheme, while 10 completed 'dark transits,' meaning their movements were not fully visible through publicly transmitted tracking signals.

Several ships that had previously delayed their journeys or reversed course subsequently completed their crossings, suggesting operators were continuing to reassess risks rather than avoiding the Bab al-Mandeb route entirely, MarineTraffic said. Traffic in the Red Sea had become increasingly volatile after Yemen's Houthi group announced a blockade targeting Saudi-linked shipping, prompting several oil tankers to reverse course or alter their routes near Bab al-Mandeb.

Shipping through Hormuz, meanwhile, has remained restricted amid the US-Iran conflict, attacks on commercial vessels and elevated insurance and security risks. The strait carries around one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade, as well as significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers.