Yemen’s Houthi movement says eight Saudi oil tankers have been pushed off their usual routes as part of a newly declared blockade targeting the kingdom’s energy exports.
According to the Iran-backed group, the ships will now have to make the much longer journey around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to reach Asian markets.
Riyadh has not confirmed that any tankers were diverted.
The Houthis announced the blockade last week, framing it as retaliation for what they describe as years of Saudi pressure on Houthi-held parts of Yemen.
The group controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, after seizing territory in 2014 and setting off a war that drew in a Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognized government.
A major concern for global shipping is the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow passage between Yemen and the Horn of Africa that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, according to dw.com.
Any serious disruption there would add to pressure on trade routes already affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis said they do not intend to levy transit charges on vessels using the strait.
