China secured the safe passage of its tankers carrying oil from Saudi Arabia through the Red Sea by establishing direct contact with the Iran-backed Houthi movement. According to a Reuters report based on six sources, Chinese officials held talks with the Houthis to ensure their vessels could pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait without coming under attack.
The Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi ports on July 20, opening a new front in the Iran war against the U.S. and its allies. The move extended attacks on tankers carrying energy and other materials beyond the Middle East.
Beijing wants to fill the oil supply gap caused by Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. For this reason, it aims to maintain oil exports from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea. China was among the first countries to directly approach the Houthis regarding passage through Bab el-Mandeb.
Houthis Grant Separate Approval for Each Ship
According to Kpler analysis and ship tracking data from LSEG and MarineTraffic, at least four tankers have loaded crude oil from Saudi ports and passed through Bab el-Mandeb heading toward China since the Houthis announced the restrictions.
One of the sources said Chinese officials obtained individual approval from the Houthis for each vessel. It was reported that both sides informed Tehran about these actions. Two officials in the region confirmed that China and the Houthis kept Iran informed.
Two Tankers Diverted Route Over Security Concerns
Due to security concerns, some tankers abandoned their transit through Bab el-Mandeb. According to data from Lloyd's List Intelligence and MarineTraffic, two supertankers named New Champion and New Prime turned back from the Gulf of Aden to the open sea.
It was reported that New Champion had come to the region to load oil from Yanbu, while New Prime was already carrying oil.
Houthis Target Two Saudi Tankers
Last week, the Houthis announced they had carried out missile and drone attacks on two Saudi oil tankers named Encelia and Layla. While maritime security sources confirmed the attack on Encelia, Reuters was unable to independently verify the claimed attack on Layla.
The southbound sea journey from Yanbu through Bab el-Mandeb to Asia takes an average of 16 days. If vessels head north to the Suez Canal and then round the horn of Africa, the journey stretches to 50 days.
Two sources close to the Houthis said the movement maintains good relations with China and that there has been close coordination in the past, particularly on oil shipments from Saudi Arabia to China.
