Chinese VLCC granted Houthi passage as militia tightens Saudi blockade
- Cosco Shipping’s VLCC Xin Long Yang has secured Houthi clearance to transit the Bab el Mandeb strait after two U-turns in the Red Sea
- Chinese tankers returning from Yanbu could negotiate passage on a case-by-case basis, although vessels heading to load remain in a holding pattern
- Expected transit comes as Houthis claimed to have attacked two Saudi tankers earlier today, escalating from blockade to direct military strikes
Chinese vessels appear to retain partial safe passage through Houthi-controlled waters even as militia strikes Saudi tankers
