Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have called for the safe and uninterrupted movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, two critical waterways for global energy and maritime trade.
The two leaders discussed the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East during a phone conversation on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin. They stressed the importance of keeping international waterways open to shipping.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, while Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides an important link to the Suez Canal.
The call came as shipping activity through Hormuz remained severely reduced. Reuters reported that only two commodity vessels crossed the strait on Monday, compared with a pre-conflict average of about 125 large commercial vessels per day.
Putin and Mohammed also emphasised the need for a political and diplomatic settlement to the wider Middle East crisis and called for a swift cessation of hostilities in Yemen.
The security situation around Bab el-Mandeb has also raised concerns about global supply chains, particularly because disruption to the waterway can force vessels to take longer routes around Africa.
The developments are being closely watched by energy markets because prolonged restrictions around either waterway could affect oil supplies, shipping costs and global trade.
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