Two Pakistan-flagged oil tankers carrying Saudi crude have successfully navigated the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandeb Strait, sailing straight through waters that have become a no-go zone for most Saudi-linked vessels since the Houthis announced a blockade on July 20.
According to maritime intelligence firm Windward, the Aframax crude tankers loaded cargo at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port and made the return voyage to Pakistan with their automatic identification systems switched on throughout — a conspicuous show of confidence in a corridor where most Saudi-linked shipping has either come under attack or been forced to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope.
The only exception, Windward noted, has been tankers associated with China, which have continued to transit the area without incident.
The successful crossings came shortly after Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a pointed warning that any attack on a Pakistan-flagged vessel would be treated as a threat to the country’s security — a signal that appears to have resonated in the volatile waterway.
The Bab al Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints, connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, making it a critical artery for global energy shipments.
