Six Saudi-flagged supertankers have altered their course in the Gulf of Aden, diverting away from the southern Red Sea and heading toward southern Africa in response to security threats linked to Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, according to ship-tracking data and trade sources. The vessels, which were empty after completing deliveries in Asia, are sailing in formation, opting for a route around the Cape of Good Hope rather than transiting the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a key maritime chokepoint near Yemen.

Automatic Identification System (AIS) data from providers LSEG and MarineTraffic confirmed the changes in navigation patterns. One of the tankers, named Dilam, was reported to be bound for Gibraltar. Each supertanker has a capacity of approximately two million barrels of crude oil.

Trade sources familiar with the situation indicated that the re-routing was a deliberate security measure, reflecting concerns over potential threats from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have previously warned of targeting Saudi shipping in the region.

The Saudi-based operator Bahri and other Saudi officials did not respond immediately to requests for comment regarding the change in shipping routes. The decision to avoid the Bab el Mandeb Strait reduces exposure to the volatile security environment near Yemen, where ongoing conflict has persisted for several years.

The Gulf of Aden and Bab el Mandeb remain strategic maritime passages for global oil and commercial shipping, with heightened risk stemming from the Yemeni conflict affecting navigation choices by regional operators.