China-owned oil tankers transit Bab al-Mandab amid Houthi attacks on Red Sea

Two Chinese-operated oil tankers carrying nearly full cargoes of crude were on course on Thursday (July 23, 2026) to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait a day after two Saudi-owned ships were attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Bloomberg reported.

Ship-tracking data showed the Xin Long Yang nearing the Bab al-Mandab Strait, with the Cosnew Lake following closely behind.

Both vessels are operated by China's state-owned COSCO Shipping and loaded crude at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu export terminal within the past week.

Bab al-Mandab, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, has seen renewed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, heightening security concerns in the Red Sea.

The movements come a day after another tanker, Front Tay, reappeared in the Arabian Sea after temporarily disappearing from public tracking systems, suggesting it transited the Bab al-Mandab Strait with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off — a practice increasingly adopted by commercial vessels navigating high-risk waters, the report added.

Conditions volatile

The continued transit of Chinese-linked tankers underscores Beijing's apparent confidence that its commercial shipping can continue operating through the strategic waterway.

Attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have prompted many Western shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

Analysts say Chinese-owned ships have generally faced a lower threat of attack than Western-operated vessels, although no commercial transit through the Red Sea is considered risk-free as security conditions remain volatile.

Meanwhile, the number of ships passing through Bab Al-Mandab Strait has gone significantly down, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported, adding that at east six vessels have changed course following the Houthis' July 20 announcement of a blockade on Saudi ports.

In the roughly 24 hours ending Tuesday afternoon, marine trackers counted 30 commercial vessels that transited the Bab al-Mandab Strait, down from 64 the previous day. 

Several international shipping companies have continued to avoid the Red Sea, while insurers have maintained elevated war-risk premiums for vessels operating in the region.

Houthi forces in Yemen attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Tuesday, escalating a blockade against Saudi ports.

The Iran-aligned Houthis imposed the blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20 and have vowed to maintain it until Saudi Arabia lifts its own restrictions on Yemeni ports and airports.

The European Union Naval Force warned commercial vessels with links to the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia against sailing in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Tuesday. 

Despite the threats, commercial traffic continued through the strait, though at reduced levels. One oil tanker bound for Yanbu — Saudi Arabia’s main oil export terminal on the Red Sea — turned away from the strait while in the Gulf of Aden. 

Xin Long Yang was initially diverted but later reapproached the area.

Houthi officials have previously signaled the deployment of additional missiles and drones near the strait to target civilian shipping. 

The group has conducted repeated attacks on Red Sea shipping in recent years, often citing the Israel-Hamas war.

The developments add to broader tensions in the region, including US strikes on Iranian targets and Iranian attacks on US installations.