Saudi Arabia reroutes oil exports via Red Sea amid Hormuz tensions

Saudi Arabia has begun rerouting its oil exports through the Red Sea amid rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

AzerNEWS reprts that the move comes as Iran threatens to block the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Riyadh to prioritize shipments through the Yanbu al-Bahr port and the Red Sea route.

Recent reports indicate that 11 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) have arrived at Yanbu al-Bahr and are currently awaiting loading.

State-owned Saudi Aramco has stated that supplies along this route could reach 5 million barrels per day in the near future. However, local infrastructure has not previously handled such large volumes. By comparison, in March, an average of 2.7 million barrels per day were transported through Yanbu al-Bahr.