China engaged in direct talks with the Iran-backed Houthi movement, securing safe passage for its tankers carrying oil from Saudi Arabia through the Bab el Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. According to six Reuters sources, as a result of these discussions, at least four tankers safely transited the area.
The Houthis had declared a blockade on Saudi ports on July 20, opening a new front against the US and its allies in the Iran war and extending their attacks targeting energy shipping beyond the Middle East. This development created new tensions over global energy supply routes.
The Beijing administration is focusing on maintaining exports from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea in order to cover the oil supply gap caused by Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In line with this strategy, China has become one of the first countries to directly approach the Houthis regarding passage through Bab el Mandeb.
Houthi Approval Obtained for Each Ship
Kpler analysis and ship tracking data from LSEG and MarineTraffic show that since the Houthis announced restrictions, at least four tankers loaded crude oil from Saudi ports, passed through Bab el Mandeb, and set course for China. One source said that Chinese officials obtained individual approval from the Houthis for each ship, and both sides kept Tehran informed of the developments.
Tankers Change Course Due to Security Concerns
Due to security risks in the region, some tankers abandoned plans to transit Bab el Mandeb. According to data from Lloyd's List Intelligence and MarineTraffic, two supertankers, New Champion and New Prime, turned back from the Gulf of Aden to open sea. The New Champion reportedly arrived to load oil from Yanbu, while the New Prime was already laden with oil.
Houthi Attacks on Saudi Tankers
The Houthis announced last week that they carried out missile and drone attacks on two Saudi oil tankers, Encelia and Layla. Maritime security sources confirmed the attack on Encelia, but Reuters was unable to independently verify the alleged attack on Layla.
The sea journey from Yanbu southward through Bab el Mandeb to Asia takes an average of 16 days. If ships head north to the Suez Canal and then around Africa, the voyage extends to 50 days.
Two sources close to the Houthis told Reuters that the movement maintains good relations with China and that there had been close coordination in the past, especially regarding oil shipments from Saudi Arabia to China.
