Oil Tanker Successfully Transits Red Sea Following Houthi Ceasefire Announcement

The Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker Chrysalis, which was previously attacked by Yemen’s Houthis, successfully sailed through the Red Sea this week, according to the Suez Canal. This marks one of the first voyages since the militia announced a halt in attacks on ships not associated with Israel. Shipping companies, many of which had suspended Red Sea voyages and rerouted vessels around southern Africa to avoid potential Houthi attacks, have been eagerly awaiting confirmation of safe voyages through the Red Sea following the Gaza ceasefire.

The Iran-aligned Houthis, responsible for over 100 attacks on ships since November 2023 and the sinking of two vessels, declared on Jan. 20 that they would limit their attacks on shipping lanes to vessels linked to Israel. Previously, they had targeted ships connected to the UK and U.S., as well as other vessels with no apparent connection. Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority welcomed the return of the Chrysalis, noting that it was the vessel’s first transit since the attack in the Red Sea last July.

The vessel sailed through the Bab al-Mandeb strait in recent days and proceeded northwards through the Suez Canal, as indicated by LSEG ship tracking data. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi revealed in December that the disruption of the canal had resulted in approximately $7 billion in lost revenues for Egypt in 2024. The return of the Chrysalis to transit through the Suez Canal is seen as a positive development towards stability in the Red Sea region, according to Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie.

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