Cairo [Egypt], August 2: Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Saturday they have forced eight Saudi oil tankers to change course, as part of a blockade of Saudi energy exports.
The tankers will now have to reroute via the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to reach their destination, the Houthis said, a move would significantly lengthen voyages to Asia.
Last week, the Houthis announced they had imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in response to what the rebel group describes as a long-standing Saudi siege on the Houthi-ruled areas in Yemen.
Yemen has been locked in a devastating conflict since the Houthi rebels took over the capital Sana'a and other parts in northern Yemen in late 2014.
Since then, Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition to support the Yemeni government against Houthi advances.
Tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia escalated again amid the US-led war on Iran. The Iran-backed group controls the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key transit point for global shipping that connects the Red Sea with Asia.
Source: Qatar Tribune
