37 cargo ships transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday, the highest figure since July 19. Based on preliminary data from the company Kepler, 20 ships entered and 17 ships exited. None of them was a supertanker or a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier.

On the same day, only five commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz, with three entering and two leaving.

The increase in traffic through Bab el-Mandeb came as Yemeni Houthi rebels on Tuesday announced they had targeted a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea with a ballistic missile.

According to a report by sources familiar with the matter that Reuters cited, China has held direct talks with the Houthis so that its tankers can pass through the Red Sea.