Saudi Oil Tankers Navigate War Zone with Transponders Off

Two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude for Indian refineries have taken evasive action to avoid potential Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The vessels, Amazon and Rodos, were chartered by Indian Oil Corp and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd respectively. They loaded 1 million barrels of oil from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port on July 20 and initially sailed north towards the Suez Canal, but then switched course to exit the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The tankers turned off their Automatic Identification System transponders around July 22, making it difficult for public tracking of their movements. This is a common practice in war zones, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The move suggests that Saudi oil shipments are vulnerable to attacks by Houthi forces, who have announced a blockade on Saudi crude exports.