Route Pulse
LIVELast updated
Hormuz blocked by active vessel attacks and mines
Houthis strike Riyadh as Red Sea remains closed.
Corridor status
Hormuz Exposed
GCC Ports — Hormuz DependentKWI Shuwaikh & Shuaiba, Kuwait · KAD Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi · DMM King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam · DOH Hamad Port, Doha · JAL Jebel Ali Port, Dubai · BAH Khalifa bin Salman, Bahrain
What’s happening
Iran's ongoing war with the US has kept Hormuz closed since June 2026. IRGC naval mines destroyed four tankers on 4 November; five more vessels and a tugboat were struck on 5 November. All Arabian Gulf ports are receiving intra-Gulf coastal traffic only — no international deep-sea cargo can transit the Strait in either direction.
What to do
Review safety stock upward for all Gulf-destined SKUs immediately; halt new deep-sea cargo commitments to any Arabian Gulf port until Hormuz reopens.
TodayHalt all new deep-sea cargo bookings destined for Arabian Gulf ports.
TodayReview safety stock upward for Gulf-destined SKUs — do not rely on historical reorder points.
TomorrowAudit all in-transit Gulf-bound shipments and identify last viable diversion points.
TomorrowContact suppliers to flag extended lead times; do not assume historical arrival windows.
This weekRecalculate reorder points for Gulf-destined lines using extended lead time assumptions.
This weekAssess contingency sourcing options if Hormuz closure persists beyond current planning horizon.
Watch
GCC Ports — Outside HormuzKHF Khor Fakkan, UAE — east coast · FUJ Fujairah, UAE — east coast · SOH Port of Sohar, Oman · SLL Port of Salalah, Oman — south coast
What’s happening
KHF, FUJ, SOH, and SLL are absorbing diversion traffic from both the Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb closures simultaneously. FUJ vessel calls are running above normal, confirming active diversion uptake. SOH calls have eased below their usual rate, consistent with anchor queue build-up compressing successful berthing. Extended delays should be expected at all four ports.
What to do
Validate berth availability and current wait times with your forwarder before committing cargo to any outside-Hormuz port — standard lead times do not apply.
TodayConfirm current wait times at KHF and FUJ before booking diverted Gulf cargo.
TodayFlag all SLL and SOH bookings for extended berthing buffer — do not use historical windows.
TomorrowReview SLL capacity with your carrier given dual-corridor diversion pressure.
TomorrowAssess SOH overland onward-routing capacity for Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain contingency cargo.
This weekWiden lead time planning windows for all shipments routing via outside-Hormuz ports.
This weekMonitor FUJ and KHF congestion signals — both are primary pressure points for Hormuz diversion.
BAB Exposed
Red Sea — Bab-el-MandebJED Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia
What’s happening
On 8 November, Houthi forces struck the Aramco Tower in Riyadh and launched missiles intercepted over the Eastern Province — confirming active Houthi military capability against Saudi targets. Bab-el-Mandeb has been under a declared Houthi naval blockade targeting Saudi-bound shipping since 20 July 2026. Jeddah is accessible only via the northern Suez approach; east-bound cargo from Asia and the Indian Ocean cannot reach Saudi Red Sea ports.
What to do
Cape routing adds 12–14 days to affected lanes — recalculate reorder points and safety stock for all Saudi Red Sea-bound supply chains; do not plan on Bab-el-Mandeb reopening near-term.
TodayConfirm all Jeddah-bound bookings are routed via Suez or Cape — not via Bab-el-Mandeb.
TodayReview safety stock upward for SKUs supplied via the Red Sea corridor.
TomorrowRecalculate reorder points for Saudi Red Sea supply chains using 12–14 additional days.
TomorrowEngage carriers to confirm Cape routing availability and pricing for affected lanes.
This weekAssess whether overland alternatives from Gulf ports can supplement Red Sea supply gaps.
This weekMonitor Houthi escalation against Saudi infrastructure — further port-adjacent strikes are possible.
Port status
KWIShuwaikh & Shuaiba, KuwaitHormuz Exposed
Hormuz is blocked under active military conditions — naval mines and vessel strikes are ongoing. Shuwaikh and Shuaiba Ports are recording roughly one vessel every 10 days, consistent with their normal low-frequency baseline — this activity is intra-Gulf coastal traffic only. International commercial vessels cannot reach Kuwait via sea. No international cargo can transit Hormuz. Do not route inbound shipments here until the Strait reopens.
Do not commit new international sea cargo to Kuwait; review safety stock upward immediately given Kuwait's already-low pre-disruption call frequency and limited fallback options.
Vessel Calls~0.1/day — matches 0.1/day baseline; one vessel per 10 days, intra-Gulf only
Alternative Route via
SOH · truck to Kuwait (~1,500km · 16–17h)Watch
JED · truck to Kuwait (~1,650km · 17–19h) — if Red Sea accessibleSecondary
KADKhalifa Port, Abu DhabiHormuz Exposed
Hormuz is blocked under active military conditions — naval mines and vessel strikes are ongoing. Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi is recording roughly two vessels per day, in line with its normal rate, but this activity is intra-Gulf coastal traffic only — not international commercial vessels. International shipments cannot reach this port via sea. You cannot reliably schedule international cargo through Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi.
Do not route inbound international shipments to Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi until Hormuz reopens; redirect to KHF or FUJ while confirming berth availability.
Vessel Calls~2.1/day — matches 2.0/day baseline; intra-Gulf traffic only
Alternative Route via
KHF · truck to Abu Dhabi (~250km · 2.5–3h)Watch
FUJ · truck to Abu Dhabi (~265km · 2.5–3h)Secondary
DMMKing Abdulaziz Port, DammamHormuz Exposed
Hormuz is blocked under active military conditions — naval mines and vessel strikes are ongoing. King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam is recording roughly one to two vessels per day, in line with its normal rate, but this activity is intra-Gulf coastal traffic only — not international commercial vessels. International shipments cannot reach this port via sea. You cannot reliably schedule international cargo through this port.
Do not commit new international cargo to Dammam via sea; assess overland alternatives from Red Sea gateways via Suez northern approach for Saudi cargo where viable.
Vessel Calls~1.7/day — matches 1.7/day baseline; intra-Gulf traffic only
Alternative Route via
JED · truck to Dammam (~1,050km · 11–12h) — if Red Sea accessiblePrimary
SOH · truck to Dammam (~1,200km · 12–13h)Secondary
DOHHamad Port, DohaHormuz Exposed
Hormuz is blocked under active military conditions — naval mines and vessel strikes are ongoing. Hamad Port is recording roughly one vessel per day, in line with its normal rate, but this activity is intra-Gulf coastal traffic only — not international commercial vessels. International shipments cannot reach Qatar via sea through Hormuz. You cannot reliably schedule international cargo through this port.
Do not commit new international sea cargo to Hamad Port; coordinate contingency overland supply via Sohar (SOH) for essential shipments, subject to SOH capacity availability.
Vessel Calls~1.1/day — matches 1.1/day baseline; intra-Gulf traffic only
Alternative Route via
SOH · truck to Doha (~700km · 7–8h)Watch
JED · truck to Doha (~1,300km · 13–15h) — if Red Sea accessibleSecondary
JALJebel Ali Port, DubaiHormuz Exposed
Hormuz is blocked under active military conditions — naval mines and vessel strikes are ongoing. Jebel Ali's vessel activity of roughly 4–5 vessels per day reflects intra-Gulf coastal cargo only — short-haul vessels operating entirely within the Arabian Gulf that do not transit the Strait. International shipments cannot reach or leave this port via sea. You cannot reliably schedule international cargo through this port.
Do not route inbound international shipments to Jebel Ali until Hormuz reopens; redirect to KHF or FUJ while confirming berth availability.
Vessel Calls~4.6/day — matches 4.5/day baseline; intra-Gulf only
Alternative Route via
KHF · truck to Dubai (~130km · 1.5–2h)Watch
FUJ · truck to Dubai (~150km · ~2h)Secondary
BAHKhalifa bin Salman, BahrainOverland Only
Bahrain receives all container cargo overland via Saudi Arabia through the King Fahd Causeway. No direct container vessel service operates here.
Coordinate all Bahrain supply overland via Saudi Arabia; factor in Hormuz-driven disruption to Saudi Gulf port availability when planning replenishment.
Vessel Calls0 calls — baseline also 0; overland-only port, as expected
Alternative Route via
SOH · Saudi → King Fahd Causeway (~750km · 8–9h)Watch
JED · Saudi → Bahrain (~1,350km · 13–15h) — if Red Sea accessibleSecondary
KHFKhor Fakkan, UAE — east coastWatch
Khor Fakkan is absorbing diverted cargo from both the Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb closures. Vessel calls are running at roughly one vessel per day, in line with the pre-disruption norm, but portcall counts measure vessels that successfully berthed — they do not capture anchor queues building offshore. Dual-corridor diversion pressure means extended berthing delays should be expected even when headline numbers appear normal. Validate vessel commitment with your forwarder before booking — do not assume historical lead times hold.
Confirm current wait times directly with your forwarder before committing cargo; widen arrival windows to account for dual-corridor diversion pressure.
Vessel Calls~1.7/day — flat vs 1.7/day baseline; diversion load not yet visible in berthing count
FUJFujairah, UAE — east coastWatch
Fujairah is absorbing elevated diversion traffic from the Hormuz closure and Cape-routed vessels from the Red Sea disruption. Vessel calls are running at roughly 9 per day, up from roughly 7 per day normally — a visible sign that diversion uptake is active. Portcall counts reflect successful berthing only; actual wait times offshore will be higher than the headline data suggests. Extended berthing delays should be expected. Validate vessel commitment with your forwarder before booking — do not assume historical lead times hold.
Confirm berth availability before committing cargo; treat FUJ lead times as less predictable than normal and widen arrival windows accordingly.
Vessel Calls~8.7/day — above 7.2/day baseline; diversion traffic driving increase
SOHPort of Sohar, OmanWatch
Sohar is absorbing contingency overland traffic for Gulf-bound cargo diverted from Hormuz-dependent ports, while simultaneously handling Cape-route diversion from the Red Sea closure. Vessel calls have eased to roughly 3–4 per day, down from a normal rate of roughly 5 per day — a signal that anchor queue pressure offshore may be compressing successful berthing. Extended delays should be expected. Validate vessel commitment with your forwarder before booking — do not assume historical lead times hold.
Confirm current SOH berth and onward overland capacity before committing contingency volumes; treat SOH lead times as less predictable than normal.
Vessel Calls~3.4/day — down from 4.6/day baseline; possible anchor queue build
SLLPort of Salalah, Oman — south coastWatch
Salalah is a primary Cape-route transshipment hub and is absorbing diversion traffic from both the Bab-el-Mandeb closure and the Hormuz blockade. Vessel calls are running at roughly 5 per day, slightly below the normal rate of roughly 6 per day — portcall counts reflect successful berthing only and do not capture offshore anchor queues. If Salalah congests further, no comparable fallback transshipment hub exists on this corridor. Extended berthing delays should be expected. Validate vessel commitment with your forwarder before booking — do not assume historical lead times hold.
Confirm SLL berth availability before booking — it is the last-resort Cape transshipment hub and has no comparable fallback if it becomes fully congested.
Vessel Calls~5.1/day — slightly below 5.7/day baseline; dual-corridor diversion loading
JEDJeddah Islamic Port, Saudi ArabiaBAB Exposed
Bab-el-Mandeb has been under a declared Houthi naval blockade targeting Saudi-bound shipping since 20 July 2026. On 8 November, Houthis struck the Aramco Tower in Riyadh and launched missiles intercepted over the Eastern Province, confirming sustained Houthi military capability against Saudi targets. Jeddah is receiving roughly one vessel per day, down from its normal two per day — this reflects northern-approach Suez traffic and intra-Red Sea coastal vessels only. East-bound cargo from Asia, India, or East Africa cannot reach Jeddah via the southern corridor. You cannot reliably schedule east-bound cargo through this port.
Route all east-bound Saudi cargo via Cape with Suez northern approach to Jeddah, or pivot to overland from Gulf ports — do not plan on Bab-el-Mandeb reopening near-term.
Vessel Calls~1.0/day — down from 2.1/day baseline; northern-approach traffic only
Sources
UN Global Platform; IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org) and other public data sources
AI-generated This briefing is written by an AI model and can contain errors.
Route Pulse provides supply chain intelligence for informational purposes only. Port data: UN Global Platform; IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org). News: public news sources. Always verify with your freight forwarder before making commercial decisions.