Houthis Strike Another Saudi Oil Tanker in Red Sea Blockade

The Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen has claimed responsibility for striking a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of Yanbu in the Red Sea, as part of their ongoing maritime blockade of the kingdom.

This is reportedly the eighth Saudi oil tanker to be targeted since the start of the blockade on July 22. The Houthis have declared that they will escalate attacks in the northern Red Sea after Saudi Arabia diverted its oil tankers there from the south in response to the blockade.

The group's leader, Yahya Saree, stated that the blockade had pushed Saudi Arabia to divert 'its oil tankers toward the northern Red Sea.' As a result, he claimed that the Houthis will now 'escalate in targeting Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea to close all access points and prevent their passage.'

The blockade has threatened Saudi Arabia's ability to export its oil supplies, particularly after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait has become a crucial transit route for crude, with Saudi seaborne exports via this waterway surging eightfold between March and mid-July 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.