Yemen’s Houthis say attacked Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis announced on Wednesday that they had successfully attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the northern Red Sea, off the coast of Yanbu. This marks the eighth Saudi oil tanker targeted since the Houthis initiated their maritime blockade of the kingdom on July 22. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed in a video statement that the group "successfully targeted the Saudi oil tanker 'Wafa' in the northern Red Sea, off the coast of Yanbu, with a number of ballistic missiles."

The Houthis have vowed to escalate attacks in the northern Red Sea, citing Saudi Arabia's diversion of oil tankers to the region as a response to their blockade. This blockade has put significant strain on Saudi Arabia's ability to export oil, as Iran's own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off the kingdom's second maritime route.

As a result, Saudi Arabia's seaborne crude exports via the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, have surged eightfold in June compared to the same period in 2025.