Houthis Strike Saudi Oil Tanker in Red Sea, Escalating Global Energy Risks
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement has struck a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, highlighting the growing threat to global energy shipping corridors. The attack on the NCC GHAZAL tanker comes as shipping companies reassess security risks in the region despite a recent easing of direct hostilities between the US and Iran.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the missile attack, stating that the Saudi-flagged tanker had violated their maritime blockade on Saudi shipping through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The vessel was reportedly forced to retreat after the attack, according to Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward said the NCC GHAZAL displayed 'high-risk' operating behavior in the weeks leading up to the attack, including a seven-day Automatic Identification System (AIS) blackout off Yemen's coast and multiple ship-to-ship transfers. The vessel switched off its transponder again on July 23 and has not transmitted its location since.
Saudi Arabia has already begun adjusting its export logistics to reduce exposure to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with more than half a dozen empty supertankers currently heading to Egypt's Sidi Kerir terminal to load Saudi crude. The kingdom has also stepped up shipments from its Yanbu export terminal to Ain Sukhna on Egypt's Red Sea coast.