Two Tankers Carrying Saudi Crude Make U-turns in Red Sea After Houthi Warning

SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI, July 21 (Reuters) – Two oil tankers loaded with Saudi crude for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea on Tuesday, heading towards the Suez Canal rather than braving the Yemeni coast at the sea’s mouth following a warning from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia.

The changes in direction by the ships, the Xin Long Yang and the Rodos, suggest a second potential disruption to a major shipping route that could compound the shortfall in global energy markets caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis on Monday declared