Chinese Tankers Push Through Bab el-Mandeb Despite Houthi Blockade Threats

Two China-owned and operated tankers loaded with Saudi crude continued on Thursday to travel in the Red Sea toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait despite the overnight Houthi attacks on Saudi vessels, ship-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg showed. The Cosco Shipping-operated tankers, the Xin Long Yang and the Cosnew Lake, are openly broadcasting their Chinese destination as they are traveling through the Red Sea approaching Bab el-Mandeb. Both China-owned tankers had loaded Saudi crude at Yanbu over the past week, according to Bloomberg's data. The… Chinese Tankers Push Through Bab el-Mandeb Despite Houthi Blockade Threats By Tsvetana Paraskova - Jul 23, 2026, 6:30 AM CDT