Houthis Claim Missile Attack on Saudi Oil Tanker in Red Sea
Iran-backed group says vessel was targeted off Yanbu as it continues maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis claimed on Wednesday that they had launched a ballistic missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, the latest in a series of strikes the group says are part of its self-declared maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had "successfully targeted" the Saudi oil tanker Wafa in the northern Red Sea, off the coast of the Saudi port city of Yanbu.
In a televised statement, Saree said the vessel was struck with "a number of ballistic missiles," but provided no details on the extent of the damage or whether there were any casualties.
The Houthis said the attack was the eighth targeting of a commercial vessel since the group announced its maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 22.
Saudi authorities had not immediately commented on the claim, and there was no independent verification of the reported attack.
The Houthis, who control large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have intensified attacks on Saudi-linked shipping and energy infrastructure since declaring the blockade, saying the campaign is a response to Saudi military operations.
The latest claimed attack comes a day after coast guards rescued the crew of the Indian-flagged commercial vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya, which sank in the Red Sea following an attack south of Yemen's port city of Hodeida, according to a local official in the coastal city of Mokha.
Yemen's internationally recognized government blamed the Iran-backed Houthis for the incident, state-run Saba news agency reported.
All 14 crew members—13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni—were rescued safely. Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the vessel was "hit by a projectile near Yemeni waters" and condemned the attack as "unprovoked." India's Ministry of External Affairs also called for an end to attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
The importance of Red Sea shipping routes has grown further following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after the outbreak of the broader Middle East war, making Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu a key export hub that allows crude shipments to reach global markets without transiting the Gulf.
The latest claim comes amid renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, marking the most serious escalation between the two sides since a 2022 truce largely halted years of cross-border attacks.
The renewed hostilities also reflect the broader regional escalation linked to tensions between the United States and Iran, with the conflict increasingly spilling across the Middle East through Iran-aligned armed groups operating in multiple theaters.