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Tankers Transiting Bab El-Mandeb Broadcast Custom Safety Signals, Says Vortexa

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About four in five tankers transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait have repurposed their automated identification system destination fields into custom digital placards to deter potential Houthi targeting, according to data and analysis from energy intelligence firm Vortexa.

Out of 175 tanker transits monitored in the thirteen days following a July 20 closure announcement, 81% bypassed standard port naming conventions to broadcast free-text messages, the firm said on Monday.

The custom signals operate across multiple dialects of self-preservation, reflecting acute industry anxiety over key Red Sea energy supply lines.

Transits have featured declarations of armed private security teams onboard, prominent mentions of Chinese or Russian ownership and crew ties to leverage perceived immunity, and explicit cargo disclaimers such as "no Saudi cargo" or "no link ISR/US/UK".

While these self-reported text entries are unverifiable at the source, Vortexa noted that they serve as a live map of market threat perception.

Cross-referencing these digital pleas against tracked cargo origins allows market participants to separate genuine operational security measures from pre-emptive cover, highlighting the intense operational adjustments required for tankers navigating high-risk geopolitical chokepoints, it stated.

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