Houthi Militants Escalate Attacks on Red Sea Cargo Ships

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants have escalated their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, targeting multiple vessels and disrupting global trade routes.

In a recent statement, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare'e claimed that the group had struck eight Saudi Arabian tankers and intercepted 29 others since announcing an embargo on Saudi exports via the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on July 22.

The latest attacks include a Saudi oil tanker, NCC WAFA, which was hit off the coast of Yanbu in the northern Red Sea. The vessel had last transmitted its location on July 19, southbound towards the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, but took a U-turn and headed back north through Saudi coastal waters.

A second Saudi oil tanker, Daisy, was also attacked in the Gulf of Aden yesterday, sustaining damages from a ballistic missile. Additionally, an India-flagged oil tanker carrying Saudi-origin crude oil sank off the coast of Yemen after being hit by a projectile near Al Hudaydah.

The Houthi militant group has vowed to escalate its attacks on Saudi-affiliated cargo in the Red Sea, which has become a hotspot for maritime assaults. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has expressed concern over the increasing number of commercial shipping incidents in the region.