Houthis Claim Responsibility for Ship Attack off Saudi Arabia's Yanbu

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group has claimed responsibility for attacking a ship off Saudi Arabia's port city of Yanbu. The attack occurred on Monday, according to the Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a televised speech.

The Saudi Center for International Communication was unavailable for comment. However, earlier in the day, the UKMTO agency reported that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu. All crew members were safe and accounted for with no environmental impact reported.

Yanbu is a crucial Red Sea oil port where millions of barrels are loaded daily. The city has become the main route out for Saudi oil, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded. The Houthis have been disrupting shipping from Yanbu since they declared a blockade on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea last month.

The Houthi group has carried out attacks on Saudi oil facilities and shipping in recent weeks, including targeting Aramco facilities in Yanbu in July. There was no confirmation or comment from Saudi authorities regarding the latest attack.