From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Two tankers carrying Saudi crude make U-turns in Red Sea after Houthi warning
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Two oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India make U-turns in the Red Sea, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than braving the Yemeni coast at the sea’s mouth following a warning from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terror group.
The changes in direction by the ships, the Xin Long Yang and the Rodos, suggest a second potential disruption to a major shipping route that could compound the shortfall in global energy markets caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is blocked by Iran.
The Houthis yesterday declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front in the US-Israeli war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.
The group, in an email sent to shipping companies, warned them not to load or discharge cargo at Saudi Arabian ports and said such activity may result in being targeted “in any location.”
The Houthis control northern Yemen, including the coast of the Bab el-Mandeb, the strait at the mouth of the Red Sea. Since the Strait of Hormuz controlling access to the Gulf has been blocked during the war, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu has become the main alternative route for Middle East oil, allowing exports of millions of barrels per day.
The Times of Israel Community.