The Houthis, an Iranian-backed militia based in Yemen, announced on Wednesday that they had launched ballistic missile attacks against two Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, signaling an intent to escalate efforts to block Saudi oil shipments through key maritime routes.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, stated that one missile struck the Saudi tanker Wafa near the Saudi port city of Yanbu, although he did not specify the timing of the attack. Later, he reported a missile attack on a second vessel, the Daisy, in the Gulf of Aden, saying the tanker was damaged and compelled to turn back.
Saudi officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment concerning the reported strikes.
The Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia’s shipping lanes last month. The group’s territorial control in Yemen is close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic chokepoint leading into the southern Red Sea. During Wednesday’s statements, the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on eight ships connected to Saudi Arabia since their blockade began.
These developments have prompted some shipping companies to divert vessels to the northern Red Sea, though the Houthis’ latest remarks suggested they plan to broaden their targeting of Saudi tankers in these waters, which extend toward the Suez Canal—a critical route for global trade. Following two days of price declines, global oil prices rose Wednesday to around $80 per barrel.
The conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia dates to 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign aiming to remove the Houthis after they seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. The campaign stalled, leading to a protracted and fragile stalemate marked by intermittent escalations.
Recent months have seen growing strategic importance attached to the Red Sea, especially after tensions between the United States and Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for Persian Gulf oil exports. In response, Saudi Arabia rerouted approximately 70 percent of its oil exports through pipelines to Red Sea ports, including Yanbu, increasing the vulnerability of shipments to Houthi attacks.
The Saudi-led coalition has generally refrained from confirming or denying individual Houthi attack claims but has targeted Houthi-controlled areas, notably the port city of Hudaydah, citing the presence of military assets threatening commercial shipping. These strikes have yet to deter the Houthi offensive.
Additionally, on Tuesday, the Houthis claimed an attack on an airport in Najran, southwest Saudi Arabia, though Saudi authorities did not confirm the incident. On the same day, an Indian cargo ship sank in the Red Sea after being hit by a projectile, with all 14 crew members rescued. The internationally recognized Yemeni government attributed the attack to the Houthis, though the group did not claim responsibility.