Danish-flagged oil products tanker Torm Innovation will sail to Asia via the Suez Canal with its cargo due to the security situation in the southern Red Sea, the vessel’s owner Torm said on Friday.
The Iran-aligned Houthis on Monday declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, opening a potential new front against the United States in its war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.
“Given the security situation in the southern part of the Red Sea, the vessel is sailing via the Suez and around the Cape to Asia. This reflects our cautious approach to crew safety, which remains our highest priority,” a Torm spokesperson said.
The tanker had loaded a cargo of naphtha at the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu, with Japan as its destination, according to shipping data and sources.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Ahmad Ghaddar;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)