World
Strait of Hormuz traffic remained disrupted as September ended
Bab el-Mandeb stayed open while the Saudi East-West Pipeline remained offline.
By the close of September 2026, vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz had not returned to normal levels. The narrow passage continued to experience irregular traffic patterns that limited the flow of crude Oil At the same time, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remained operational, and the Saudi East-West Oil Pipeline stayed out of service.
The persistence of irregular traffic forced tankers to seek alternative routes around Africa or through the Red Sea, extending voyage times. Shipping firms reported higher fuel consumption and scheduling challenges. The continued bottleneck kept regional Oil supplies under pressure.
Despite the Hormuz slowdown, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait saw no effective closure and continued to handle bulk shipments. Conversely, the Saudi East-West Pipeline, which links the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, remained non-operational, preventing a shortcut for Oil exports. The dual situation left the Gulf region dependent on longer maritime paths.
Together, the constrained Hormuz flow and the idle Pipeline kept overall Oil movement in the Middle East below pre-crisis levels. The situation maintained a degree of uncertainty for global energy supplies.
Analysis
Without a return to normal flow, exporters must rely on longer detours, which raises shipping costs and can delay deliveries. This pressure can influence pricing dynamics, especially for contracts that depend on timely supply.
The Saudi East-West Pipeline's shutdown removes a strategic shortcut that would have allowed Oil to bypass the Hormuz bottleneck. Its inactivity forces producers to ship through the open Bab el-Mandeb, adding distance and exposing shipments to the security environment of the Red Sea. The fact that Bab el-Mandeb remained functional prevents a complete halt of maritime traffic but does not offset the loss of the Pipeline's capacity.
The ongoing situation also gives regional actors leverage in diplomatic negotiations, as the chokepoints continue to shape the balance of energy logistics.
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