Yemen’s Houthi movement has told the media that commercial traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait has continued almost uninterrupted even as fierce ground fighting took place along the Arabian Peninsula’s coastal approaches. Sources indicated the account on 13 September 2026, citing a statement carried by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that said 73 international vessels transited the strait during the preceding 48 hours.
The statement, as reported, listed the ships as a mix of container and other commercial vessels and presented the passage figures as evidence that maritime traffic had been largely maintained. The group described conditions at sea as ‘‘near normal’’, using that phrase to characterise movements through the narrow maritime corridor.
Al-Masirah TV, identified in the reporting as operated by the Houthi movement, was the vehicle for the announcement. That outlet’s release set out the 48-hour tally and framed it against intense ground clashes said to be occurring onshore in the vicinity of the strait.
The juxtaposition of sustained vessel transits and fighting ashore formed the central thrust of the Houthi account. The claim highlights a contrast between land operations and maritime activity, with the statement emphasising continued commercial passage despite the reported security environment along the coasts.
The reports item relayed the figures without adding independent verification. The report confined itself to the Houthi account as presented on al-Masirah TV and the traffic numbers the group put forward for the 48-hour period.
Transit figures and timeframe
The sole numerical detail provided was the count of 73 international vessels crossing the strait over 48 hours. The Houthi statement specified that the total included container ships alongside other commercial craft, but did not list the ships by name, flag or operator.
The timeframe given in the announcement was limited to the 48 hours immediately preceding the broadcast of the statement. No further historical comparison or trend data were supplied in the report to place that two-day snapshot in a longer-term context.
Source and presentation
Sources carried the report on 13 September 2026, attributing the information to the Houthi group’s statement as aired on al-Masirah TV. The reporting relayed the movement figures and the description of conditions at sea without additional corroboration.
The Houthi account framed the information as a factual update on international ship movements through a strategic waterway. The broadcast character and the figures it supplied formed the basis of the item that appeared in the maritime press.
The Maritime Gazette is reporting these details drawn from the reports item and the Houthi statement it summarised. Beyond the numbers and the line the group presented, the report contains no further operational or confirmation detail about the specific vessels concerned or about measures taken to ensure their passage.
Suggested takeaways from the report are limited by the narrowness of the source material: the announcement supplies a short, recent snapshot, 73 vessels in 48 hours, presented by the Houthi movement via its broadcaster, and framed against reports of heavy fighting on adjacent land. No additional information on ship identities, operators, routing changes or third-party verification was included in the item published on 13 September 2026.