Houthis Fire Ballistic Missiles at Saudi Oil Tanker in Red Sea

The Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen has escalated its maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia after claiming to have fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea. According to Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, the vessel had breached the newly declared blockade and ignored warning calls before being forced to change course.

The incident occurred on July 28, 2026, and was reportedly confirmed by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO), which stated that the crew and vessel were safe and no environmental damage had been reported. However, Reuters could not immediately verify whether the UKMTO advisory was related to the Houthi's claim.

The Houthis imposed the maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in response to what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen, an allegation Riyadh has denied. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen had carried out strikes on Houthi military sites in the Hodeidah governorate, claiming that the sites were used to threaten commercial shipping.

The escalating conflict has disrupted global supplies and extended to a second front in the Gulf region, with the Houthis firing at Saudi oil installations in two ports on the Red Sea coast on Saturday. The situation remains tense as the war continues to affect regional and international markets.