DUBAI/HAMBURG - ​Saudi Arabia ⁠has issued a tender to purchase 710,000 metric ‌tons of hard milling wheat, the General Food Security Authority ​said on Thursday.

Delivery is scheduled for between June and August, ​the authority said.

The authority ​said shipment was sought to Saudi Arabian Red Sea ports only.

This avoids the blockage ⁠of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East Gulf and confirms earlier reports from European traders.

The GFSA normally seeks a combination of shipments to Gulf and ​Red ‌Sea ports.

The ⁠GFSA was ⁠seeking wheat shipment in 12 vessels, with five shipments totalling 300,000 ​tons sought to Jeddah, five totalling ‌300,000 tons to Yanbu and ⁠two totalling 110,000 tons to Jazan, GFSA Chief Executive Ahmad Al Fares said in a statement.

Wheat with 12.5% protein content is sought from global origins and the deadline for price offers is Friday, April 24, the statement added.

European traders said results are expected on Monday, April 27. In its previous ‌wheat tender, the GFSA bought 794,000 tons ⁠on March 2, only days after the ​start of the Iran war, but with most of the purchase scheduled for unloading in Saudi ​Red Sea ports.

(Reporting ‌by Ahmed Elimam in Dubai and ⁠Michael Hogan in Hamburg Editing ​by Alison Williams and David Goodman)