Houthis Take Responsibility For Attacks On 2 Saudi Oil Tankers In Red Sea & Gulf Of Aden

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group said it attacked two Saudi oil tankers with ballistic missiles, targeting one vessel in the northern Red Sea near Yanbu and another in the Gulf of Aden.

The attacks were announced by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree on Wednesday. He said the Saudi oil tanker Wafa was hit off the coast of Yanbu in the northern Red Sea with several ballistic missiles.

In a separate statement, he said another Saudi oil tanker, Daisy, was targeted in the Gulf of Aden with a ballistic missile.

Saudi authorities have not confirmed either incident and had no immediate comment on the claims.

Saree did not provide the timing of the attacks but said the two incidents brought the number of Saudi oil tankers targeted since the start of the blockade to eight and nine.

The Houthis began the maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia last month, saying it was a response to what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen. Saudi Arabia has denied the allegation.

The group said it would increase attacks in the northern Red Sea after Saudi Arabia diverted oil tankers toward the area following the blockade.

Saree said the diversion of Saudi tankers had led the group to focus on preventing their movement through the northern Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia’s oil export routes have shifted due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. With the kingdom’s main maritime route through the Gulf affected, the Red Sea port of Yanbu has become the main exit point for Saudi oil shipments.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, has become a key route for Saudi crude exports.

The waterway also provides access to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, making it an important passage for global shipping and energy trade.

According to maritime tracking company Kpler, Saudi seaborne crude exports through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait increased eightfold between March and mid-July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.

The data showed exports reached nearly 100 million barrels in June, compared with seven million barrels in February.

Kpler data also showed that all of Saudi Arabia’s seaborne crude exports departed from Yanbu port during April and May.

The reported tanker attacks follow the sinking of the Indian-flagged vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya off Yemen’s coast on Aug. 4. All 14 crew members, including 13 Indian nationals, were rescued.

References: Reuters, Gulf News