Is the Red Sea Exclusive to Iran?

Analysts reported today, Friday, that only grain ships coming from the Black Sea or headed to Iran are still traversing the Red Sea, as the Houthis continue to attack ships in the region. Eshan Behanu, a prominent agricultural commodities analyst at Kepler, stated, "Almost all bulk dry grain vessels coming from the Americas and Western Europe are avoiding the Red Sea, with the only exception being ships heading to Iran, which still take the Red Sea route when it is shorter." He added, "All the vessels we track going from the Black Sea to Asia pass through the Red Sea, with almost no exceptions." Behanu noted that the amount of grain passing through the Suez Canal dropped to a low level of 2.6 million tons in February, compared to 5.3 million tons in the same month in 2023.