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Skip next section Some Saudi oil shipments get through Bab el-Mandeb 08/03/2026 August 3, 2026 Some Saudi oil shipments get through Bab el-Mandeb Two tankers
Skip next section Some Saudi oil shipments get through Bab el-Mandeb 08/03/2026 August 3, 2026 Some Saudi oil shipments get through Bab el-Mandeb Two tankers carrying Saudi crude successfully crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the weekend, despite security concerns and a Houthi-declared maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia. Shipping data showed traffic through the waterway fell sharply amid the heightened security risks, with just 18 commodity vessels passing on Sunday, down from 28 on Friday.
The tankers, Lesvos and Desh Vaibhav, transited with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking systems switched off, the Kpler data showed. Together, they were carrying about three million barrels of Saudi oil. Desh Vaibhav is heading to India's Sikka port, while Lesvos' destination remains unclear. Meanwhile, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz also slowed, with commodity crossings dropping after reports of multiple tanker attacks.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency says three more attacks have been reported since Saturday, raising fresh concerns over the security of key global energy shipping routes. What is the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis? The Houthis are an Iran-backed militant group that has controlled most of Yemen's more populous areas — including the capital, Sanaa — for a little over a decade.
A coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 in support of the country's internationally recognized government, which is de facto based in the southern city of Aden. While the Saudi-backed government agreed to a truce with the Houthis in 2022, this year tensions have risen again amid the US war with Iran.
The BriefWire