3 August 2026 20:22 (UTC+04:00)Ulviyya Poladova Read moreSaudi Arabia's Yanbu port recorded its busiest day since Houthi threats disrupted regional shipping, with five Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) spotted at its crude oil loading terminals, AzerNEWS reports, citing Bloomberg. Following disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict with Iran, Yanbu has become increasingly important for Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports. A VLCC is capable of carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil. Greek-owned tanker Lesvos and the Indian-flagged Desh Vaibhav transported Saudi crude loaded at Yanbu through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait while sailing with their AIS transponders switched off. Although some tankers, including vessels carrying Russian crude oil, continue transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait with their tracking systems active, Houthi threats have forced some Saudi-linked shipments to take the longer route around Africa.