From Yanbu, tankers heading to Europe can sail north through the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. Egypt’s SUMED pipeline offers another route, carrying oil between the Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts.
The direct sea route to Asia runs south through Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow passage between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and then towards the Indian Ocean.
That route faces a separate threat from Yemen’s Houthis, who have seized Perim Island in the passage and the country’s Red Sea coast, effectively taking control of the strait.
Tankers heading to Asia could instead sail north through Suez and then around Africa, but the journey would be much longer. Changing a tanker’s route does not solve the problem of getting oil to Yanbu.
The International Energy Agency said in its September oil market report that stored oil supplies worldwide had fallen by 507 million barrels since February, including 95 million barrels in August alone.
The agency estimated Gulf oil exports at around 13 million barrels a day in August, nearly half their pre-war level. It also reported sharply higher diesel prices in Europe and Asia as disruptions reduced fuel supplies.
Copyright Satellite image ©2026 Vantor via AP
By Mohamed Elashi
Published on 14/09/2026 – 11:59 GMT+2•Updated 14:43
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