Conflict & Security
Houthis say they attacked two Saudi oil tankers
Yemen's Houthis said Wednesday they attacked two Saudi oil tankers, the Wafa in the northern Red Sea off Yanbu and the Daisy in the Gulf of Aden, as the group continued its declared maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement that the group targeted the Wafa with ballistic missiles. In a later statement, he said the Houthis targeted the Daisy with a ballistic missile.
Saree said the two vessels were the eighth and ninth Saudi oil tankers targeted since the start of the blockade last month. Saudi authorities had no immediate comment on the report.
The Houthis said they would escalate attacks in the northern Red Sea because Saudi Arabia was diverting oil tankers there from the south in response to the blockade.
The blockade has threatened Saudi Arabia's ability to move oil by sea after Iran's parallel closure of the Strait of Hormuz. With Hormuz closed, the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu became the main exit point for Saudi oil, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait became a crucial route for crude.
Maritime tracker Kpler said Saudi seaborne crude exports through Bab al-Mandeb rose eightfold between March and mid-July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Kpler data said exports through the strait reached nearly 100 million barrels in June, compared with seven million barrels in February, and that all Saudi seaborne crude exports departed from Yanbu in April and May.
Update
Yemen's Houthis said they also targeted the Saudi oil tanker Daisy in the Gulf of Aden with a ballistic missile.
A Houthi military spokesman said the Wafa and Daisy were the eighth and ninth Saudi oil tankers targeted since the group declared its blockade.
Saudi authorities had no immediate comment on the reported attacks.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 August 2026 at 18:47:11 UTC.
Update
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group would escalate targeting of Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea.
Saree said Saudi Arabia had diverted oil tankers towards the northern Red Sea because of the Houthis' declared blockade.
Kpler data cited in the item said Saudi seaborne crude exports through Bab al-Mandeb rose eightfold between March and mid-July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
Kpler data said Saudi crude exports through Bab al-Mandeb reached nearly 100 million barrels in June, compared with 7 million barrels in February.
Kpler data said all of Saudi Arabia's seaborne crude exports departed from Yanbu port in April and May.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 August 2026 at 07:38:12 UTC.
Update
The Houthis identified the tanker as the Saudi oil tanker Wafa.
The Houthis said the attack took place in the northern Red Sea off Yanbu.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group used several ballistic missiles.
The Houthis said this was the eighth ship they had targeted since the start of their declared blockade on July 22.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 August 2026 at 07:10:34 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The reported attacks and any damage to the tankers were not independently confirmed in the supplied material.
Saudi authorities had no immediate comment on the report.
Source
AFP news report published on .