Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Aramco has begun asking crude buyers to prepare dual loading plans from both Gulf and Red Sea export terminals as the escalating confrontation involving Iran disrupts shipping through one of the world’s most critical oil routes.

According to industry sources familiar with the discussions, the company has requested that customers nominate cargo loading options for April shipments from its traditional Gulf export hub at Ras Tanura as well as the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

The move reflects efforts by the world’s largest oil exporter to maintain supply continuity while navigating growing security risks around the Strait of Hormuz.

The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman normally handles roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade.

In recent weeks, escalating hostilities and security warnings have sharply reduced tanker traffic, forcing major Gulf producers to reassess how they deliver crude to global markets.

Saudi Arabia’s strategy relies heavily on its East-West pipeline network, which connects oil fields in the kingdom’s eastern region with export facilities on the Red Sea coast.

The system allows crude to be transported across the country to Yanbu, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz entirely.

Shipping data indicates that exports from Yanbu have already increased significantly since tensions intensified.

However, the Red Sea route cannot fully replace the large volumes normally shipped through Ras Tanura and other Gulf terminals, highlighting the scale of disruption caused by the crisis.

Saudi Aramco’s outreach to buyers effectively prepares customers for a flexible supply system in which cargoes could be loaded either from the Gulf or from the Red Sea depending on evolving security conditions.

The arrangement also reflects efforts by the company to prevent severe production cuts if tanker traffic remains constrained.

Energy analysts say the contingency planning underscores the vulnerability of global energy markets to geopolitical instability around major maritime chokepoints.

With inventories already under pressure and demand remaining strong across Asia, prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could have far-reaching consequences for prices and supply chains.

Saudi Arabia has long maintained infrastructure designed to mitigate such risks, including the cross-country pipeline capable of moving millions of barrels of oil per day to the Red Sea.

Yet the system’s capacity remains significantly lower than the volumes that normally flow through the Gulf, meaning it can only partially offset the loss of Hormuz shipments.

The preparations come as the Middle East experiences one of its most volatile security periods in years.

Energy infrastructure, shipping routes and export terminals have all become focal points in the broader regional confrontation.

By asking buyers to prepare alternative loading arrangements, Saudi Aramco is signalling its intention to maintain reliable supplies while adapting quickly to changing security conditions across the region’s vital oil export corridors.