Two Tankers Carrying Saudi Crude Reversed Course in the Red Sea; First Confirmed Rerouting After the Houthi Threat

On Tuesday, 21 July 2026, two tankers carrying Saudi crude reversed course in the Red Sea, a day after Yemen's Houthi forces warned they could target ships using Saudi ports. According to ship-tracking data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the two vessels had been sailing south in the Red Sea toward China and India before turning north toward the Suez Canal.

One of the ships, the very large crude carrier Shin Long Yang, had loaded about 2 million barrels of crude at the port of Yanbu the previous day and was bound for China. The Aframax tanker Rhodes, carrying about 700,000 barrels of Saudi crude to India, also reversed course.

Maritime risk group Vanguard called it the first confirmed commercial rerouting following the Houthi threat, one likely to increase disruption to Saudi crude exports and regional shipping. The development was among the drivers of Tuesday's jump in oil prices.