Houthis Step Up Blockade with Attacks on Two Saudi Oil Tankers
The Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, escalating their declared naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. The attacks on the 'Wafa' and 'Daisy' tankers come as part of a strategy to intensify pressure on Riyadh.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria said that the Saudi oil tanker 'Wafa' had been successfully struck by several ballistic missiles in the northern Red Sea off the coast of Yanbu. He later reported that the tanker 'Daisy' in the Gulf of Aden had also been attacked by a ballistic missile.
The Houthis announced that they would increase attacks on Saudi tankers in the northern part of the Red Sea, as Riyadh has begun rerouting its ships there in an attempt to circumvent the blockade. According to Saria, this is because the blockade has forced Saudi Arabia to use the northern route through the Red Sea to export oil.