Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been blockading Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since Tuesday, July 21st, and on Thursday, July 23rd, they launched attacks on two Saudi oil tankers. Meanwhile, two Chinese oil tankers successfully sailed away from Saudi Arabia, drawing attention from the international community.
According to Newsweek’s report on Thursday, July 23rd, two Chinese supertankers crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and entered the Gulf of Aden.
Tracking data for these vessels identified them as the “Xin Long Yang” and “Cosnew Lake”, both clearly crewed by Chinese sailors. They appeared to have been granted passage by the Houthi rebels.
According to data from the London Stock Exchange Group, these two tankers belong to the China COSCO Shipping Corporation and each loaded approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil at the port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia.
These are the first known ships to have left Saudi waters since the Houthi rebels announced the maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
Arif Gasilov, a partner at Gasilov Group, an energy consulting firm, told Newsweek that there may be a broader understanding between Beijing and the Houthi-Iranian camp. Given China’s ongoing purchase of most of Iran’s sanctioned oil and their existing commercial ties, Beijing may have secured privileges without difficult negotiations.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post on Thursday, Lloyd’s List analyst Cichen Shen suggested that Chinese oil tankers returning from Yanbu in Saudi Arabia may have been allowed passage through negotiations with the Houthi rebels on a case-by-case basis.
On Monday, July 20th, the Houthi rebels declared a blockade on vessels traveling to and from Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, two Saudi oil tankers came under attack.
One of them, the Saudi oil tanker “Encelia”, was attacked and caught fire late on Wednesday, July 22nd. According to Saudi state media, all crew members are safe.
The United States Joint Maritime Information Center previously issued a warning on Tuesday about the Houthi rebels deploying missiles and drones near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Houthi rebels currently control approximately one-third of Yemen’s territory and almost the entire Red Sea coastline.
With maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz still disrupted, most of Saudi Arabia’s oil exports passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have managed to avoid Iranian attacks.
Data from the commodity analysis firm Kpler shows that around two-thirds of Saudi Arabian oil exports must pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait en route to Asia, with China, Japan, South Korea, and India being the major buyers.