Yemen’s Houthis report attack on Saudi oil tanker in Red Sea

The Houthis have claimed an attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the port city of Yanbu in the Red Sea. The Yemeni armed group issued a statement on Monday detailing its strike on the “Amzan,” the latest targeting of Saudi assets by the Houthis in support of Iran, heightening fears that the US-Israel war on Iran could escalate across the region.

A Houthi military spokesperson said the vessel, belonging to Saudi national shipping company Bahri, was targeted off the coast of Yanbu with a ballistic missile. Bahri later released a statement confirming the “Amzan” was involved in a maritime incident in the Red Sea, adding it was in contact with the vessel and closely coordinating with the relevant authorities. All crew members were safe, with no injuries reported. “The safety of our people, the protection of the maritime environment, and the safe management of the vessel remain our highest priorities,” the statement said.

Saudi officials were yet to confirm the incident. Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency had said a tanker had been struck by an unknown projectile about 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu.

In recent weeks, the Houthis have killed seven people in a Yemeni port and targeted an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. They also killed at least six people and wounded 10 others in a double-tap strike on a cargo vessel in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

In keeping with Iran’s strategy to stem global energy supplies to pressure the US to halt hostilities, the Houthis are seeking to limit Saudi energy exports via the Red Sea. Yanbu is Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are usually loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil tankers avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran. Shipping around Yanbu has faced disruption since last month, when the Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea and began launching attacks.

The Houthis said the attack was “part of the implementation of the Armed Forces’ decision to ban maritime navigation by the Saudi enemy,” describing the strike as accurate and direct, resulting in a fire breaking out aboard the vessel and causing other ships in the target area to flee.