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Saudi Yanbu halt deepens oil strain as Europe scrambles for crude   Subscribe for as low as $2/week to access this story and all reporting.  (Enter your email) ()   (Continue)  (form-vTFb1_PpMKCAP-1MniFlBpYnVLmPziz8M6zKyDD6dwU)  (pro_subscribe_email_form)   By entering your email, you agree to receive AL-MONITOR's daily newsletter and occasional marketing messages.     Why AL-MONITOR?   AL-MONITOR is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.     Read by   (White House logo)  (European Union logo)  (United Nations logo)  (NATO logo)  (Foreign & Commonwealth Office logo)  (World Bank logo)  (Harvard University logo)  (Council for Foreign Relations logo)        (message icon)     Live news & notifications   Follow over 100 expert journalists based across the region and get notified in real time of breaking stories and exclusives. *Expanded coverage on Energy & Defense sectors.   (message icon)     Premier analysis of the Middle East   Access the sharpest and most diverse regional minds giving you all the angles on regional trends.   (message icon)     Live events & video   Priority access to roundtables, summits and other events alongside AL-MONITOR's global community of regional influencers.   (message icon)     Specialized Newsletters   Get timely reporting on key countries and sectors with up to 10 daily and weekly newsletters straight to your inbox.   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(Samuel Wendel)   (https://www.al-monitor.com/authors/samuel-wendel) Samuel Wendel               (A commercial vessel is anchored off Yemen's coast at Bab al-Mandeb, in the straits connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean on Sept. 12, 2026.)      A commercial vessel is anchored off Yemen's coast at Bab al-Mandeb, in the straits connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean on Sept. 12, 2026.  — AFP via Getty Images      Oil markets are facing fresh uncertainty amid reports that Saudi Arabia has suspended loadings at the Red Sea port of Yanbu, sending European refiners scrambling for replacement crude as (https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/saudi-pipeline-shutdown-exposes-shrinking-global-oil-supply-buffers) disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz continue. What happened:  Saudi Arabia has suspended oil loadings at the Red Sea port of Yanbu, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing shipping industry sources, just days after Aramco was forced to take the East-West pipeline out of service following attacks that Riyadh blamed on Iraqi militias.  Yanbu is the main outlet for Saudi crude transported through the East-West pipeline, which has a total capacity of 7 million barrels per day and carries oil from the kingdom’s eastern production centers to the Red Sea and allows Aramco to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Customers are already grappling with a sudden loss of supplies. Citing unnamed industry sources, Argus Media reported on Tuesday that Aramco has begun delaying or canceling some crude shipments to European customers. At least three European refiners have had September cargoes pushed back or canceled, while others expect similar disruptions. Argus reported that all Saudi cargoes scheduled to load during the final 10 days of September could be at risk.  You're reading a free AL-MONITOR Original  Want more like this?  AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.  Email Address (https://www.al-monitor.com/checkout) See Offers  (https://www.al-monitor.com/visitor-agreement) Terms and (https://www.al-monitor.com/privacy) Privacy       SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE   Continue reading this exclusive analysis   Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. 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