Saudi Arabia has said that it has resumed oil shipments through the Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea.

Aramco temporarily suspended its oil cargoes from passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on 26 July after it said that two of its very large crude carriers (VLCCs) were attacked by Houthi militants.

A statement by Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said shipments resumed on 4 August.

“The decision to resume oil shipment through the strait of Bab al-Mandeb was made after the leadership of the coalition has taken necessary measures to protect the coalition states’ ships,” Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in the statement.

In a separate statement, Saudi Aramco confirmed that shipping had resumed: “The company is careful to continue monitoring and evaluating the current situation in coordination with the relevant bodies, and take all necessary procedures to ensure safety.”

 The Bab al-Mandeb is a critical chokepoint through which some 4.8 million barrels a day of crude and refined products are shipped.

The bulk of Europe’s crude imports from the Middle East travel through the straight on their way to the Sumed pipeline or the Suez Canal.