2 Saudi oil tankers cross Bab el-Mandeb as vessel traffic slows

On Sunday, two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude oil sailed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to shipping data provided by Kpler. This marked a decrease from the previous day's count of 27 tankers, which had been the highest since mid-July. The decline in vessel traffic through the strait can be attributed to reports of attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The Houthi group, aligned with Iran, had declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20, escalating tensions in the region and expanding attacks on tankers transporting energy supplies and other goods beyond the Gulf. One of the tankers, Lesvos, a Suezmax vessel, was carrying approximately 1 million barrels of Saudi crude, while the other, Desh Vaibhav, was carrying about 2 million barrels.

The Malta-flagged Lesvos was en route to an unknown destination, and the Desh Vaibhav was headed towards India's Sikka port, where Reliance Industries typically receives crude. Meanwhile, a Panama-flagged tanker carrying Russian naphtha altered its course to circumvent the Red Sea and pass through the Indian Ocean instead of navigating the Strait of Hormuz.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported three additional tanker attacks since Saturday.