Saudi Oil Tankers Divert Course Amid Yemeni Threats in Bab al-Mandab Strait

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, two Saudi oil tankers bound for Asia rerouted in the Red Sea on Tuesday after Yemen’s Ansarullah movement issued threats regarding the closure of the Bab al-Mandab strait to Saudi shipping. This information was reported by Reuters, citing data published by the Mehr News Agency.

The Ansarullah movement declared a shipping ban for Saudi Arabia last Monday, an action that could potentially open a new front in the ongoing conflict. In a message conveyed to shipping companies, the group warned that any vessel involved in loading or unloading Saudi oil would be targeted.

U.S. President Donald Trump, in response to these threats, asserted that the Ansarullah movement had not yet blocked the Bab al-Mandab strait and indicated that action would be taken against them if such a move occurred. Trump stated, “As of this moment, that has not happened. It may happen, but we have the situation under control. If it happens, we will deal with it.”

Nevertheless, the Yemeni threat appears to be taken seriously, as evidenced by the two Saudi oil tankers that changed their course yesterday. Instead of transiting the Bab al-Mandab strait towards the Indian Ocean, they redirected towards the Suez Canal. These two vessels had recently loaded Saudi crude oil from the port of Yanbu in the Red Sea for delivery to China and India.

The British maritime risk management group Vanguard announced on Tuesday that these developments represent the first definitive changes in the routes of commercial oil tankers since Ansarullah’s prohibition was declared, and it is likely to lead to increased disruptions in Saudi crude oil exports in the region.