Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked ship off Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu; no Saudi confirmation

‌Yemen’s Iran-aligned ​Houthis said they attacked a vessel off Saudi Arabia’s port city of Yanbu, in comments ‌by the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a televised speech on Monday.

The Saudi Center for International Communication was not immediately available for ‌comment. Earlier in the day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency ‌said a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu. The UKMTO said all crew were safe and accounted for with ⁠no reported ​environmental impact.

Yanbu ⁠is Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day ⁠are loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil ​skirting the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by ⁠Iran. Shipping from Yanbu has itself faced disruption since the Houthis declared a blockade ⁠on ​Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea last month. The Houthis have carried out attacks on Saudi oil facilities and shipping in the ⁠Red Sea in recent weeks, and they claimed to have targeted Saudi ⁠oil giant ⁠Aramco facilities in Yanbu in July. There was no confirmation or comment from Saudi authorities.

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