Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude bound for China and India changed course on Tuesday while sailing through the Red Sea, heading instead toward the Suez Canal, following warnings issued by the Houthi group regarding shipping linked to Saudi ports, Reuters reported, citing shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).
On Monday, the Houthis announced a ban on maritime traffic associated with Saudi Arabia, a move Reuters said could signal a further expansion of regional tensions, increasing risks to global energy supplies and commercial trade beyond the Gulf region.
According to Reuters, the Houthis sent an email to shipping companies warning them against loading or unloading cargo at Saudi ports, stating that vessels doing so could become targets “anywhere.”
The group controls large parts of northern Yemen, including the coastline overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, while Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea serves as a key export terminal for millions of barrels of Middle Eastern crude oil, providing an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz.
Shipping data showed that the very large crude carrier (VLCC) Xin Long Yang, which had completed loading 2 million barrels of Saudi crude at Yanbu, was originally bound for China via the Red Sea before altering its course and heading north toward the Suez Canal.
