The Suezmax-class Lesvos and the Indian-flagged supertanker Desh Vaibhav are the latest vessels to employ dark transit methods to secure passage through the volatile chokepoint. Satellite imagery reveals that Yanbu remains a hub of intense activity, with five tankers docked Saturday—the highest traffic count since militants first vowed to disrupt Saudi oil exports two weeks ago.
Saudi Tankers Go Dark to Evade Houthi Red Sea Threats
Two tankers carrying Saudi crude have vanished from tracking systems while navigating the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, signaling an escalation in maritime evasion tactics. The vessels, last seen near the port of Yanbu, reappeared off the coast of Oman days later with their transponders disabled to bypass ongoing Houthi aggression.
Saudi Arabia is rapidly shifting its logistics to mitigate risk. While some vessels attempt the southern route under the cover of silence, others are abandoning the Red Sea corridor entirely. Last week, six tankers reversed course in the Arabian Sea, redirecting toward refueling hubs in South Africa and Gibraltar. Simultaneously, the kingdom is diverting a significant portion of its export volume northward, dispatching empty supertankers to Egypt’s Sidi Kerir terminal to bypass the Houthi threat zone altogether.
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