Saudi Ships Reroute via Cape of Good Hope to Avoid Bab el Mandeb

Maritime intelligence firm Windward said in a report that 12 vessels linked to Saudi Arabia have rerouted toward the Cape of Good Hope to avoid transiting the Bab el Mandeb strait, a diversion that makes voyages longer and more costly. According to Khabaronline, citing ISNA and the report, some Saudi linked vessels have repeatedly changed their declared destination over the past two weeks, while others only confirmed their final destination after rounding the coast of South Africa.

The report said this pattern points to uncertainty over which sea routes are safe. Forces based in Sanaa, Yemen, under a policy they describe as "blockade for blockade," have been blocking the passage of Saudi linked vessels through Bab el Mandeb, forcing shipping companies to take longer routes to bypass the chokepoint.