Houthi forces impose a "maritime blockade" on Saudi Arabia, several oil tankers in the Red Sea change course

Glonghui, July 23rd – On July 20th, Yemen's Houthi forces announced an “immediate maritime blockade” on Saudi Arabia, warning vessels not to head to Saudi ports. According to the latest ship tracking data, on the 22nd local time, five oil tankers changed course in the Red Sea, with two of them setting the Suez Canal as their new destination. The EU’s Red Sea naval escort mission—Operation “Shield”—issued a navigation advisory on the 22nd: vessels associated with Israel, the United States, and Saudi Arabia face higher risks of attack by the Houthi forces. It is advised to avoid the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden routes until risks subside. The notice further states that vessels recently calling at Saudi ports for loading or unloading should minimize their electronic signal exposure, turn off the ship’s automatic identification system whenever possible, and reduce publicly accessible digital information that can be targeted.