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Houthis claim ballistic missile strike on Saudi tanker in Red Sea
The Houthis tied the attack to rerouted Saudi shipping, and analysts said the vessel went dark after July 19.
The Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen claimed a “precise hit” on a Saudi-flagged products tanker in the Red Sea, according to an account of a statement by Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree carried by Middle East outlet Al Bawaba, as reported by OilPrice.
In the claim, the Houthis said the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the Saudi oil tanker Wafaa north of the Red Sea off the Yambu area using several ballistic missiles.
OilPrice also cited maritime intelligence group Windward, which said the vessel NCC WAFA was last seen transmitting on July 19 heading southbound in the Red Sea toward the Bab el-Mandeb strait and has been dark since then.
OilPrice further noted that after the Houthis announced a blockade on July 22, Windward analysts said the tanker likely U-turned and moved back north through Saudi coastal waters, where the missiles found it, and that the strike was part of the Houthis threat to disrupt Saudi-linked shipping.