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China-linked tankers sail toward Bab el-Mandeb with Saudi crude
Tracking data monitored by Bloomberg shows two Cosco Shipping-operated vessels loaded with Saudi crude from Yanbu are continuing through the Red Sea despite Houthi attack threats.
OilPrice reports that two China-owned and operated tankers carrying Saudi crude continued their journey on Thursday through the Red Sea toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, even as the Houthis threatened shipping tied to Saudi Arabia. According to ship-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg, the Cosco Shipping-operated vessels, Xin Long Yang and Cosnew Lake, are openly broadcasting their Chinese destination as they approach Bab el-Mandeb. The article says both tankers loaded Saudi crude at Yanbu during the past week.
The report links the decision to move forward to heightened disruption risk amid the Red Sea campaign and a worsening Middle East backdrop. It notes that Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis intensified threats to oil shipping in the Red Sea and expanded targeting efforts toward Saudi shipments through Bab el-Mandeb, a key chokepoint.
OilPrice also cites an escalation in regional conflict, including the U.S. military launching its 12th consecutive wave of strikes against Iranian military targets and Iran's IRGC claiming an oil tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The article further says maritime security reports indicated a Saudi-flagged tanker, Encelia, was struck in the Red Sea.
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