Houthis claim ballistic missile strike on Saudi oil tanker "Wafaa" in northern Red Sea
Sanaa, August 5
Yemen's Houthi rebels announced on Wednesday that they executed a targeted strike against a Saudi oil tanker in the northern Red Sea, framing the operation as part of an escalating maritime blockade.
In an official statement shared on X, spokesperson Yahya Saree stated that the operation struck the Saudi oil tanker "Wafaa" off the coast of the port city of Yanbu. According to Saree, the strike was executed "with a number of ballistic missiles, and the strike was accurate, by the grace of Allah".
Highlighting the wider scope of their maritime campaign, Saree noted that this latest engagement brings the total number of vessels hit by their forces to eight Saudi oil ships since the start of the maritime ban last month.
"With this operation, the total number of ships targeted by our forces has reached eight Saudi oil ships since the start of the maritime ban on July 22nd. Meanwhile, the total number of ships prevented and forced to retreat and return in the Red and Arabian Seas has reached 29 Saudi oil ships," he said.
The spokesperson further explained that following successful efforts to tighten restrictions around the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the southern Red Sea, "the Saudi enemy moved to divert the route of its oil ships toward the northern Red Sea."
In response to these rerouting measures, Saree issued a firm warning regarding future operations, stating that the "Yemeni Armed Forces emphasise that their operations will continue and escalate in targeting Saudi oil ships in the northern Red Sea to close all outlets to it and prevent it from passing, in order to establish the equation of 'siege for siege,' regardless of the results and repercussions."
Last week, Saudi Arabia and 13 other nations agreed to set up a defensive naval alliance to protect commercial vessels navigating critical chokepoints, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, the Saudi Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday.
The development comes amid persistent maritime disruptions caused by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia carrying out a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. Combined with ongoing transit bottlenecks stemming from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, these security threats have amplified global energy security fears, elevating crude oil prices towards USD 90 per barrel.
The Saudi Ministry of Defence listed the coalition's founding member states as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia.
The pact was formalised at a military conference held in Riyadh, which brought together defence chiefs and delegates from 43 nations, alongside representatives from the European Union. Participating officials evaluated the proposed foundational charter in hybrid sessions conducted both in person and via video conference, according to the ministry.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Another day, another strike in the Red Sea. It feels like a never-ending cycle of retaliation. "Siege for siege" policy will only bring more instability to the region. What about the sailors on those ships? They have families, they have lives. The Houthis talk about Islamic solidarity, but this is just needless aggression. We need more diplomatic solutions like the one India has been advocating - peaceful dialogue over military action. 🕊️
Interesting how global powers always get involved when oil supply is threatened, but when Yemen is facing a humanitarian crisis with millions starving and lacking basic healthcare, nobody steps in so decisively. Oil prices go up, world leaders pull strings, but the people of Yemen... their suffering rarely makes headlines. We need to look at the bigger picture here and address the root cause, not just the disruption in oil supply chains.
The Saudis are now paying the price for their aggressive foreign policy in Yemen. They marched into Yemen wanting to push back against Iranian influence, and now they're getting their oil tankers hit. Seriously, a 15-nation coalition is being formed to secure shipping lanes, but if they can't even protect their own territorial waters, how will they protect the Red Sea? All this regional tension will just push India and other nations to look for alternative energy sources faster. 😅
Yaar, the Red Sea is like the throat of world trade. Bab al-Mandab is crucial - around 12% of global trade passes through it. These Houthis are playing a dangerous game. They're backed by Iran and the Saudis are forming this big navy coalition, but who will actually benefit? Only the big arms dealers and oil companies, not the common people. India needs to stay neutral here and ensure our own energy security. Also, we should seriously accelerate our push towards renewable energy and cut this dependence on Arabian oil, simple!
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