Houthi Rebels Claim Responsibility for Saudi Oil Tanker Attack in Red Sea
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, escalating tensions in the region. According to Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, the vessel was targeted off the Saudi port city of Yanbu.
The attack is part of a recent escalation between the rebels and Saudi Arabia, which has threatened to reignite Yemen's civil war. The Houthis announced in July that they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for Saudi-linked shipping, putting additional pressure on international shipping since the Red Sea became a key alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the war.
This is not an isolated incident - just Tuesday, an Indian-flagged commercial ship sank in the Red Sea off Yemen after being struck by an explosive-laden boat. The crew was rescued, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility for that attack either.