Get you up to speed: Live Updates: Strait of Hormuz traffic falls to new low as Iran-backed Houthis kill 6 in Red Sea, authorities say
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a one-week low of eight vessels amid ongoing conflict, according to data reported by the Reuters news agency. Shipping companies are reportedly avoiding the critical waterway due to the current situation.
The U.S. Central Command has stated that they have disabled three non-compliant vessels and redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade since Tuesday. The Panama-flagged vessel, Vela Nova, was struck in the Gulf of Oman after its civilian crew allegedly ignored multiple warnings, but no information on casualties has been confirmed.
U.S. Central Command confirmed its military helicopter struck a Panama-flagged vessel attempting to bypass the blockade of Iranian ports, asserting that the blockade remains in full effect. The Houthis’ chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, stated that while they are open to negotiations, any settlement must include the lifting of the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia.
What remains unclear — It is not known whether there were any casualties from the U.S. military helicopter strike on the Panama-flagged vessel.
Strait of Hormuz traffic declines to one-week low as Houthis kill six in Red Sea
Strait of Hormuz traffic falls to one-week low
The number of vessels tracked transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to a one-week low of eight, according to data reported by the Reuters news agency, as the ongoing conflict and stalemate kept shipping companies away from the vital waterway.
Tuesday’s tally of eight vessels fell below a 10-day average of about 12, for the lowest daily count since August 5, according to Kpler data reported by Reuters.
Around 130 ships a day passed through the vital waterway before the war started on February 28.
Houthi strikes mark escalation by rebel group against Yemen government
The alleged Houthi strikes that left at least six people dead aboard a cargo vessel off Yemen are the first known deaths from Houthi attacks on shipping in the region, since the latest bout of fighting in the country began.
The deadly incident in the Bab el-Mandeb strait came amid Houthi attacks on the government-held port city of Mokha on the Red Sea and other areas of the country, which killed dozens of government troops and civilians since last week, according to the Yemeni military.
Mohammed HUWAIS /AFP via Getty Images 
The strikes are part of an escalation by the Houthis against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, and the kingdom’s shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthi attacks could reignite Yemen’s civil war following a 2022 truce, and open a new front in the Middle East war.
Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesperson, accused Saudi Arabia in a social media post of exploiting the ceasefire to tighten an air and sea blockade it imposed in 2015.
He said the Houthis are open for negotiations but any settlement must include lifting the blockade.
U.S. forces hit Panama-flagged vessel trying to bypass blockade of Iranian ports, Central Command says
An American military helicopter struck a Panama-flagged vessel after it tried to bypass the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, U.S. Central Command said.
It was unclear if there were casualties from the attack after a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the Vela Nova’s engine room, according to CENTCOM. The ship’s civilian crew allegedly ignored repeated warnings from U.S. forces as they attempted to transit the Gulf of Oman.
“The ship is no longer transiting to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade, which remains in full effect,” CENTCOM said.
As of Tuesday, CENTCOM said it has disabled three non-compliant vessels, boarded two and redirected 55 commercial vessels attempting to run the U.S. blockade.