Merchant vessels still braving the Red Sea are adding unusual notices to their public tracking feeds—everything from “All Crew Muslim” to “Chinese-managed, armed guards on board”—in hope of escaping the latest wave of Houthi attacks, shipping data show.
Traffic through the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab choke-point has fallen to 32–35 sailings a day, barely half the October 2023 average, after the Iran-aligned Yemeni militia last week torpedoed two bulk carriers and warned it would block any cargo linked to Israel.
Screenshots from MarineTraffic and LSEG AIS feeds show captains updating their vessel profiles to proclaim no Israeli ties and, in some cases, to spotlight their crew’s nationality or religion. Maritime-security analysts call it a sign of mounting desperation, but doubt the Houthis rely on such self-reported details.
“Intelligence preparation on their side is far deeper than an AIS blurb,” one security source said. Fleet records reveal that sister ships of both recently sunk vessels had visited Israeli ports within the past year.
The targeting pattern has widened despite previous Houthi pledges to spare Chinese shipping: a Chinese-operated tanker was struck by ballistic missiles in March 2024, and separately the rebels have hit vessels trading with Russia.
Insurers have reacted by more than doubling war-risk premiums for Red Sea transits this week; some underwriters are now refusing cover altogether. Broker Aon warned in a note that the waterway remains “high-risk” despite intermittent ceasefire talks, urging owners to adopt “adaptive security measures.”
Daily passage numbers through Bab al-Mandab slid to the mid-30s on 9-10 July, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, down from 43 on 1 July and an average of 79 before the attacks began last November.
“Seafarers are the backbone of global trade,” the UK-based Seafarers’ Charity said. “They should not have to risk their lives simply to move food, fuel and medicine.”