Saudi Oil Tankers Reroute Through Egypt to Avoid Houthi Attacks
Saudi oil tankers are adopting a new strategy to avoid attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement, signaling Egypt and the Suez Canal as their destinations instead of Saudi ports.
This shift comes after the Iran-backed group announced a blockade of Saudi ports in late July and attacked vessels linked to the kingdom in the Red Sea, according to Bloomberg's report.
The Houthis have since threatened to expand attacks to Saudi ships in the northern Red Sea, where Saudi Aramco has diverted more oil cargoes to seek safer routes out of the region.
One example is the Sea Majesty, which approached the Suez Canal this week with a draft indicating it had likely loaded oil inside the Red Sea while sailing 'dark,' meaning its tracking transponder was switched off.