Yemen : Houthis Claim Blocking 48 Saudi Oil Tankers, Launching Strikes Inside Kingdom

Sana’a — Yemen’s Houthi movement announced that it had forced 48 Saudi oil tankers to turn back between July 20 and August 19, preventing their passage through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the vessels included 34 ships in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean and 14 in the Red Sea, framing the move as part of the group’s “blockade-for-blockade” strategy in response to what it calls the ongoing siege on Yemen.

Saree added that Houthi forces carried out nine military operations inside Saudi Arabia, targeting Yanbu, Najran, Jizan, Abha, and oil supplies in the Eastern Province, in retaliation for strikes on Sana’a airport and Hodeidah port. 

He also reported 14 separate attacks against Saudi troop deployments in Al-Ruwayk, Al-Abr, Al-Wadi’a, Marib, and Mokha, as well as against naval vessels transporting equipment.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed receiving a report of an incident about 40 nautical miles southeast of Mokha, where an unmanned vessel was struck by multiple unidentified projectiles, sustaining severe structural damage. Authorities have not released further details about the source of the attack or the vessel’s identity.