Tankers make sharp U-turns after Houthi shipping threat

What the report says

BBC Verify reports that at least seven oil tankers changed course near Yemen after the Iran-linked Houthi movement announced what it called a “maritime embargo” on Saudi Arabia on Monday. Citing ship-tracking data, the BBC said the vessels had been travelling to or from Saudi ports before making sharp turns. Maritime risk firm Vanguard told the BBC the reasons for individual route changes could not be independently confirmed, but the timing aligned with the Houthi announcement.

The development matters because the Red Sea is a major trade corridor linking the Mediterranean to the Gulf of Aden through the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The BBC notes the route has become especially important for Saudi oil exports since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed during the US-Israeli war with Iran, limiting Gulf oil and gas flows. Rosemary Kelanic of Defense Priorities told BBC Verify that additional Houthi restrictions could raise prices, and Kpler analyst Naveen Das warned of higher freight and energy costs if disruption persists.

The Houthis said ships were barred from loading or unloading at Saudi ports and could be targeted within their operational reach, according to an email to shipowners seen by the BBC. They described the move as retaliation for what they allege is a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-held north-west Yemen. Saudi Arabia rejected the allegation and said it would protect its vessels under international law.

The BBC places the threat against the backdrop of Yemen’s long civil war, the informal Houthi-Saudi truce since 2022, and previous Houthi attacks on shipping after the Gaza war began in 2023. The EU naval mission Aspides has reportedly advised vessels linked to Israeli, US or Saudi interests to avoid the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the threat level falls.