Saudi Aramco Diverts Oil to the Red Sea

Saudi Arabia is rapidly adjusting its oil export strategy as the conflict with Iran disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global energy flows. State oil giant Saudi Aramco has begun diverting crude exports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu via the East-West pipeline, allowing shipments to bypass the Gulf and maintain deliveries to global markets despite mounting security risks and tanker congestion. The pipeline can transport up to about 5 million barrels per day from eastern oil fields to the Red Sea, providing a critical alternative route as shipping traffic through Hormuz slows dramatically. However, analysts caution that the Red Sea system cannot fully replace the volume normally exported through the Gulf, while storage facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia are filling rapidly as exports face logistical bottlenecks.