Last week, Saudi Arabia announced a temporary halting of all oil shipments through the Red Sea shipping lane of Bab al-Mandeb, after Houthis rebels attacked two Saudi Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia may have proceeded to this move to persuade its Western allies that the Houthis are more dangerous than they think.
Western allies are supporting the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen and they expressed concern about the attacks, however they did not indicate they would take action to secure the strait.
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Now, according to Reuters, Saudi Arabia may have closed the strait in order to encourage its Western allies to take more seriously the danger posed by the Houthis and take action for the war in Yemen.
The Port of Hodeidah is the target of a coalition offensive launched on June 12, trying to cut off the Houthis’ supply line. After failing, the coalition stopped operations on July 1 to give the United Nations a chance to resolve the situation.
The suspension of Saudi shipments may also want to pressure the European allies, to take a stronger stance against Tehran’s ballistic missiles program and support for armed groups across the region.
What is more, the halt of oil shipments through the Red Sea is suspended until the maritime transition through Bab al-Mandeb is safe. However, it is unclear when that will happen.
Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia does not seem to hurry, as it has other ways to supply European and US markets.Saudi Arabia will probably use the Petroline, or East-West Pipeline, to transports crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu for export to Europe and North America.
It could also charter non-Saudi ships to carry its oil through Bab al-Mandeb, as it already does with Asian customers using different routes, Reuters concludes.
