Houthis Strike Saudi Tanker in Red Sea as Maritime Blockade Escalates

The Houthi group in Yemen has claimed to have struck a Saudi oil tanker with a ballistic missile in the Red Sea, as part of their campaign to blockade maritime navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

The strike allegedly caused a fire aboard the vessel and led other ships nearby to flee. The incident took place 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi claim came hours after a British maritime agency reported that a tanker had been struck by an 'unknown projectile' and caught fire off the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. All crew members were said to be safe, but no environmental impact has been reported.