Houthis Strike Saudi Oil Tankers in Red Sea, Threaten Key Waterway
The Houthi movement in Yemen has claimed responsibility for targeting two Saudi oil tankers in separate attacks in the Red Sea. The group used ballistic missiles to strike the vessels, with one of them forcing the tanker to turn back. This marked the eighth and ninth Saudi oil tankers targeted by the Houthis since the start of the blockade last month.
The Houthi spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that the operation successfully achieved its objective and hit the vessel precisely within the framework of the 'siege for a siege' equation. The group is threatening to block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa.
The Houthis have been escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia since Yemen's internationally recognized government struck the runway at the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport in late July. The group contends that the Saudi-led military coalition imposed a comprehensive land, sea, and air blockade on Yemen, drastically limiting operations at critical entry points.