▲ The Red Sea shipping route
Oil tankers are increasingly turning back as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels threaten to blockade the Red Sea, a vital crude oil shipping lane.
Following the previous closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to armed conflict between the United States and Iran, the blockage of both major routes poses an emergency for global oil transport.
According to dpa and Bloomberg, the Houthis announced on the 21st (local time) that six vessels had turned back over the previous 24 hours after a warning was issued as part of a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.
Previously, Yemen's pro-Iran Houthi rebels declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia a day earlier.
The area the Houthis intend to blockade is the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea, which has been used as a detour export route after the Strait of Hormuz was blocked.
Saba News Agency, operated by the Houthis, reported that the vessels that turned back changed their routes after receiving warnings from the Houthi side.
Saba News Agency did not provide detailed information on the ships.
The Houthi-affiliated Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) sent emails to global shipping companies the previous day, warning that "the loading and unloading of cargo from all Saudi ports is prohibited" and advising cooperation for maritime safety.
According to Bloomberg, following this warning, some oil tankers carrying Saudi oil began altering their routes in the Red Sea.
It was reported that some vessels temporarily suspended operations as they approached the Red Sea or turned their bows northward toward the Suez Canal.
After the warning was issued, several Chinese ships turned back in the Red Sea, and an oil tanker managed by Greek shipping company Dynacom Tankers also turned around.
On the other hand, vessel-tracking data showed that some oil tankers were still continuing their voyages into the blockaded waters, taking the risk.
Some buyers in Asia still expressed their desire to load crude oil in the Red Sea, Bloomberg reported.
As the Strait of Hormuz was blocked due to the war with Iran, Saudi Arabia diverted a significant portion of its crude oil production to pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, increasing the importance of the Red Sea as an energy transport route.
However, with the Red Sea, the core detour route that had cushioned the oil supply shock caused by the war, facing the threat of a blockade, the energy crisis is heightening once again.
As the United States and Iran resumed attacks, international oil prices have surged by about 25% this month, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned of a worsening situation.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol stated that global supplies of crude oil and petroleum products are facing mounting pressure due to the war.
Speaking on this day, Birol said, "The escalation of hostilities affecting the Strait of Hormuz and regional energy infrastructure is increasing concerns over supply security and uncertainty regarding market prospects."
He added, "Threats to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which has become even more critical as a route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, further compound these concerns."
He also emphasized, "With hostilities intensifying and commercial inventories continuing to decline, we cannot afford to be complacent about oil security."
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