A COSCO Shipping vehicle carrier has become the first vessel tracked making a U-turn in response to the Houthi blockade on Saudi Arabia, signalling that even China-linked ships may not be exempt from the Iran-backed group’s new maritime embargo.

The 7,500 ceu Liu Jiang Kou (IMO: 9991795), operated by Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers was sailing through the Gulf of Aden towards the Red Sea when it reversed course near Djibouti, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel-tracking data.

The turnaround came hours after the vessel’s operator received an email from the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center warning that its transit clearance had been cancelled and ordering it to “immediately cease proceeding toward Saudi ports”.

The 2025-built ship had been issued a transit clearance on July 18, two days before the Houthis announced the Saudi embargo.

But the email, dated July 21 and seen by Lloyd’s List, informed the operator that “all previously issued transit clearances for vessels bound for Saudi ports shall be deemed cancelled” following the ban that took effect on July 20 at 1201 hrs UTC.

Continuing the voyage “would constitute a violation of the ban decision and would subject the vessel to sanctions”, the email stated, adding that the ship “may be subject to targeting in any location within the operational reach of the Yemeni Armed Forces”.

Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers has been approached for comment.

Chinese-linked vessels have generally been considered among the safest assets transiting the Red Sea since the crisis erupted, largely escaping Houthi attacks because of Beijing’s friendly ties with Iran and its influence in the Middle East.

The course reversal of Liu Jiang Kou suggests that Chinese ships may no longer enjoy such immunity under the new Saudi embargo.

If this is not an isolated case, the rules may also affect Chinese tankers loading at or bound for Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu, forcing them to reroute and avoid the Bab el Mandeb Strait altogether, an executive at another Chinese state-owned shipowner said.

Yanbu has emerged as a critical hub for Middle Eastern crude exports since shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted.

“However, this might be temporary and things could be worked out through [Beijing’s] coordination,” the executive added.

The development also raises questions about the viability of Red Sea transit for all commercial shipping. If even Chinese vessels are now subject to Houthi enforcement actions, other operators face an even bleaker outlook.

Security consultancy Marisks had warned on July 20 that the Houthi announcement “should be treated as a credible escalation, not routine rhetoric”.

Marisks had assessed that Saudi-owned fleets, particularly those of Bahri and Saudi Aramco, would be the most likely targets, with foreign operators trading with Saudi Arabia not considered primary targets for attack.

Nevertheless, the warning sent to the Liu Jiang Kou suggests the Houthis are applying the embargo to all Saudi-bound vessels regardless of ownership or flag — raising the stakes for any operator still trading with the kingdom.

The Houthis announced the immediate implementation of the maritime embargo on July 20, with military spokesperson Yahya Saree describing the measure as retaliation under the principle of “an eye for an eye” for Saudi Arabia’s nearly 12-year blockade on Yemen and recent air strikes on Sanaa International airport.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned the embargo on the same day, saying it would take all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

No attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea or Bab el Mandeb Strait have been reported since the announcement. Market sources said navigation in the area remains normal, although shipping companies with Red Sea exposure have expressed concern over the escalation.

Sources said war risk reinsurers have so far kept rates and terms unchanged for Red Sea transits, with net rates currently ranging between 0.022% and 0.075%.

War risk exclusion zones already cover the southern Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb, Yemen, the Gulf of Aden, and Saudi Arabia’s eastern and western coastal waters, with no indication of further expansion.

Marisks assessed that “kinetic action” is unlikely before Thursday, when Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi is expected to deliver a further address.

If no political progress is achieved, the Houthis would likely start with VHF warnings and coercive measures before progressing to direct attacks, the firm said.