Yemen’s Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi Arabia oil tanker

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement has escalated maritime tensions in the Red Sea by attacking Saudi oil infrastructure. According to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, the group conducted a ballistic missile operation against the Saudi tanker NCC Ghazal, which they accused of breaching a naval blockade imposed on Saudi vessels. The group stated it deployed multiple ballistic missiles and forced the vessel to withdraw from the area.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors maritime security, received reports of an explosion from a tanker transiting the Red Sea. The organization confirmed that crew members remained safe and no environmental contamination resulted from the incident.

This attack represents part of a broader campaign by the Houthis, who announced their maritime blockade on July 20 in response to what they characterize as a decade-long Saudi-led siege on Yemen. The group has justified its actions as a proportional response to economic pressure, framing the blockade as retaliation for resource depletion and comprehensive restrictions on Yemen. Prior to the NCC Ghazal incident, Houthi forces claimed responsibility for strikes on two additional Saudi tankers, the Encelia and Layla, on July 22.

The Red Sea remains a critical global shipping corridor, particularly for petroleum transport. The Bab al-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a gateway to the Suez Canal, handles approximately 5 percent of worldwide crude oil and refined product shipments. In 2024 alone, roughly 4.1 billion barrels of petroleum passed through this 29-kilometer-wide chokepoint, underscoring the strategic importance of maintaining stable maritime conditions in the region.