Saudi Oil Tankers Evade Houthi Embargo via Bab el-Mandeb
Two Saudi crude oil tankers exited the Red Sea with transponders disabled to bypass a Houthi maritime embargo as regional shipping traffic declines.
Two tankers transporting Saudi crude oil, the Lesvos and Desh Vaibhav, exited the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb strait over the weekend with their Automatic Identification Systems transponders switched off. The vessels operated in this manner to evade a maritime embargo declared by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia on July 20.
The Desh Vaibhav is carrying 2 million barrels of oil bound for the Sikka port in India, while the destination for the Lesvos, which is transporting 1 million barrels, has not been disclosed. This clandestine movement occurred amid a broader decline in commodity vessel crossings at both the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Strait of Hormuz.
Simultaneously, shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz slowed following reports of maritime violence. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported three tanker attacks occurring since Saturday, contributing to the decreased vessel activity in the region.
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