UK-based Windward ship-tracking data on the 3rd show six Saudi tankers are sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, avoiding the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea to mitigate security risks from Yemen’s Houthi militants to Saudi-linked vessels. Windward said the Cape route adds roughly 6–7 days for some US-bound tankers versus direct transit through the Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb. All six vessels chose to reroute on ballast legs, which Windward says may reflect a Saudi operational policy to keep its ship

UK-based Windward ship-tracking data on the 3rd show six Saudi tankers are sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, avoiding the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea to mitigate security risks from Yemen’s Houthi militants to Saudi-linked vessels. Windward said the Cape route adds roughly 6–7 days for some US-bound tankers versus direct transit through the Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb. All six vessels chose to reroute on ballast legs, which Windward says may reflect a Saudi operational policy to keep its ships out of the area rather than a temporary, cargo-specific measure.