Six Saudi Oil Tankers Reroute Around Africa to Dodge Houthi Threat

Half a dozen empty Saudi oil tankers have turned away in the Arabian Sea from the Red Sea chokepoint Bab el-Mandeb and headed south around Africa in the western direction, in highly unusual moves for tankers loading crude from the Middle East. All six tankers turned away from Bab el-Mandeb after the Houthi threats to Saudi shipping and actual attacks on tankers prompted Saudi Arabia to re-route its crude oil exports, again, to Egypt. The tankers are indicating destinations such as either Gibraltar or the South African ports of Durban or Algoa Bay,…