Tanker Exits Red Sea Dark as China Ship Heads Toward Strait

By Weilun Soon

Jul 24, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A Greek tanker carrying Saudi crude exited the Red Sea with its transponder off, while another Chinese vessel and Russian cargoes headed toward the Bab el-Mandeb strait, after Houthi attacks heightened risks.

Days after the Iran-backed group declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia, Western shipowners appear to be making plans to avoid Bab el-Mandeb off Yemen, where the Houthis are based, or transit dark. Still, tankers owned by nations close to Iran, such as China, have been safely crossing despite having loaded from Saudi Arabia, while ships with Russian oil also appear to be making frequent exits.

The Greek-owned Merbabu transited the strait dark, emerging in the Arabian Sea late Thursday after previously broadcasting in the Red Sea, according to ship-tracking data. Fixtures show it’s heading to India. Separately, New Explorer, a Hong Kong-owned supertanker carrying Saudi crude, was sailing toward Bab el-Mandeb, after two Chinese tankers earlier exited via the same route.

Traffic through Bab el-Mandeb appeared brisk on Friday, with several tankers carrying Russian crude to India exiting, while other vessels headed inward.

For western vessels handling Saudi oil, however, shipowners were faced with important decisions on whether to risk a dangerous exit via Bab el-Mandeb, or take the pricier and longer voyage around the African continent to Asian destinations. That diversion would take them through the Suez Canal.

With the situation in the Red Sea remaining tense, a Denmark-owned products tanker, Torm Innovation, u-turned in the waterway toward the northern route through the Suez after loading at Yanbu, according to tracking data. The vessel is supposed to be heading for Japan, according to fixtures.

Should Torm Innovation exit via the Suez, that would follow a move by Asia-bound liquefied natural gas carrier Gas King, which opted for the diversion two days earlier. The tanker has begun transiting the canal.

The uncertainty in the Red Sea appears to be prompting some Asian buyers to consider picking up Saudi cargoes outside of the waterway. Some are in talks with Saudi Aramco to potentially reroute flows around Africa.

Also, a very large crude carrier has been provisionally arranged to pick up a cargo from Egypt’s northern coast for delivery to South Korea via the Cape of Good Hope, according to reports of the fixture seen by Bloomberg, making it the first such booking in years.

Shipowners have been on edge this week after the Houthis declared the blockade and then followed with their first attacks on Saudi vessels. Riyadh confirmed a strike on the refined-products tanker called the Encelia. The European Union’s naval force has since advised merchant ships to turn their transponders off if they called at ports in the kingdom.

The Houthi attacks open a new front in the Middle East conflict, which has led to shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz coming to a near-halt. On Friday, that waterway was nearly deserted, with the supertanker Noble appearing to have entered the Persian Gulf with its transponders off. In recent days, three supertankers exited the gulf dark.

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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This article contains reporting from Bloomberg, published under license.

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