Houthis Strike Two Saudi Oil Tankers in Red Sea Attacks

The Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen has claimed responsibility for two separate attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, targeting a total of nine vessels since the start of the blockade last month. The group struck the Saudi oil tanker Daisy with a ballistic missile, forcing it to turn back, while also hitting another vessel, Wafaa, using multiple missiles.

The Houthi movement has threatened to block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. The strait serves as a crucial transit route for Gulf oil exports seeking to bypass potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Riyadh strongly rejects the Houthi claims, maintaining that maritime controls established in 2015 were legally mandated under UN Security Council Resolution 2216 to prevent illegal arms flows and Iranian weapons smuggling to the Houthis. Saudi Arabia has hosted military officials from 43 countries and the European Union to advance the establishment of a Multinational Defensive Maritime Coalition aimed at securing critical sea lanes.