Houthis Block 48 Saudi Oil Tankers Amid Escalating Military Operations

The Houthi movement in Yemen has announced that it had forced 48 Saudi oil tankers to turn back between July 20 and August 19. The vessels, which included 34 ships in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean and 14 in the Red Sea, were prevented from passing through the waterways as part of the group's 'blockade-for-blockade' strategy.

The Houthi movement claims this move is in response to what it calls the ongoing siege on Yemen. The group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said that Houthi forces had also carried out nine military operations inside Saudi Arabia, targeting Yanbu, Najran, Jizan, Abha, and oil supplies in the Eastern Province.

Saree reported 14 separate attacks against Saudi troop deployments in Al-Ruwayk, Al-Abr, Al-Wadi'a, Marib, and Mokha, as well as against naval vessels transporting equipment. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed receiving a report of an incident about 40 nautical miles southeast of Mokha, where an unmanned vessel was struck by multiple unidentified projectiles.