Saudi Arabia shifts oil exports from Bab al-Mandab after six months of disruption

Every element of the claim is corroborated by independent reporting. 'Saudi Arabia's last major oil route comes under Houthi pressure' (Middle East Eye, 7 Aug 2026) establishes the disruption timeline: the Strait of Hormuz closed on 4 March 2026, roughly six months before the claim date, and the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia on 22 July with strikes reaching Yanbu. It also confirms the northbound shift to Suez and Egypt's Sumed pipeline and quantifies the penalty as at least four additional weeks to Asia plus roughly $1.6m in fuel and a $1m canal toll per transit. 'Saudi ramps oil via Mediterranean to avoid Houthi attacks in Red Sea' (CNBC, 12 Aug 2026) confirms Aramco explicitly leaning on Sumed and Suez, and 'South Korea turns to longer sour crude routes as Red Sea risks rise' (S&P Global, 13 Aug 2026) shows a VLCC lifting Saudi crude at Sidi Kerir, Sumed's Mediterranean terminal, on 3 August. 'Houthi threat triggers tanker crunch as Saudi oil reroutes' (S&P Global, 29 Jul 2026) confirms the move away from Bab al-Mandab itself. The originating article, 'Under Threat, Saudi Arabia Reroutes Oil Exports Yet Again' (nytimes.com/2026/08/26/business/saudi-oil-houthis-iran.html), matches the claim's headline and framing, though its full text was not retrievable, so the exact wording of specific figures inside it is unverified.