Yemen’s Houthi group said on Wednesday that it had targeted a Saudi oil tanker with several ballistic missiles in the northern Red Sea, as the group continues what it describes as a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the Saudi tanker Wafaa was struck off the coast of Yanbu, claiming the missiles hit the vessel accurately.
There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities or independent maritime security sources, and the tanker’s condition remained unclear.
Saree said the operation formed part of the group’s “blockade for blockade” campaign, under which the Houthis have threatened to prevent Saudi oil shipments from passing through regional waterways.
According to the Houthi spokesperson, the Wafaa was the eighth Saudi oil tanker targeted since the group announced the blockade on July 22.
He also claimed that 29 Saudi tankers had either been prevented from crossing the Red Sea and Arabian Sea or forced to reverse course. The claims could not be independently verified.
Saree said Saudi Arabia had begun redirecting tankers toward the northern Red Sea after Houthi operations disrupted routes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The group vowed to continue and intensify attacks against Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea in an effort to restrict maritime access and prevent vessels from reaching their destinations.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted commercial and military vessels in and around the Red Sea, raising concerns over the security of one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.