Houthis Target Red Sea Oil Route as Saudi Tankers Turn
Yemeni militants are threatening a crucial Red Sea oil export route, forcing several Saudi tankers to reverse course and raising the risk of further supply disruptions.
Iranian-backed Houthi forces have finalized preparations to attack commercial shipping near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, prompting an immediate reaction from oil markets. The US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) warned on Tuesday that missiles and drones are now positioned near the strategic Red Sea chokepoint.
"Sources close to the group stated that the Houthis have completed preparations to attack shipping, including the deployment of missiles and drones positioned near Bab el-Mandeb," the JMIC said in a notice. The threat follows the militants' declaration on Monday of a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia.
The strait has become a critical relief valve for global energy supplies. With Iran attacking tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh has pivoted millions of barrels per day through a pipeline to its Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea. Kpler data shows exports through Bab el-Mandeb surged to 3.5 million barrels per day in June, up from just 240,000 bpd a year earlier.
Despite official assurances that traffic remains normal, shipping data indicates significant early disruption. Ship tracking firm Kpler recorded a 34% drop in traffic through the strait on Tuesday compared to the previous day. Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported that four tankers carrying Saudi cargo turned around before reaching the waterway.
Those four vessels were transporting a combined 3.8 million barrels of crude oil, gasoil, and naphtha. The diversions represent a tangible hit to near-term supply flows just as alternative routes out of the Persian Gulf face their own severe constraints.
Iranian forces have escalated attacks in the Strait of Hormuz this week, targeting three chemical and crude tankers off the coasts of Oman and the UAE. According to the United Nations' International Maritime Organization, a dozen ships have been attacked in and around Hormuz since July 6. Those incidents have killed two seafarers and injured more than a dozen others.
The JMIC noted that no attacks have occurred in the southern Red Sea over the past two days and currently assesses the threat level as moderate. "No changes to commercial routing or transit patterns occurred, and vessels continued to use established lanes without disruption," the center stated. However, the diversion of 3.8 million barrels of Saudi cargo suggests commercial operators are already disregarding that assessment in favor of risk mitigation.
