Houthi Rebels Say Missile Landed Near Oil Tanker Off Saudi Coast
Attack near Yanbu in the Red Sea raises fresh concerns about shipping through a key global waterway amid an ongoing Houthi campaign
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Sept. 1 that they launched a missile at an oil tanker off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, a claim that if confirmed would mark a fresh strike on commercial shipping in a strategically vital corridor.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree took responsibility in a prerecorded message aired on the group’s al-Masirah channel and said the vessel, identified by the group as the Scarlet Ray, had ties to Israel. The ship’s owners could not be immediately reached for comment. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which monitors Middle East shipping, earlier reported that a vessel heard a splash and a bang off its side near the Saudi port city of Yanbu.
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The reported strike comes amid a sustained Houthi campaign against shipping in and around the Red Sea that accelerated after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Gaza and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war. From November 2023 through December 2024, the Houthis said they targeted more than 100 commercial vessels with missiles and drones; international monitoring and maritime authorities have said the group sank four vessels and that attacks in the campaign have killed at least eight mariners.
The Red Sea is a major artery for global trade and energy shipments, and attacks there have prompted increased naval patrols and advisories from international maritime authorities in the past two years. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and other naval coordination centers regularly issue warnings and guidance to commercial vessels transiting the area.
Officials and shipping industry sources have previously said Houthi actions have disrupted shipping schedules and raised insurance and security costs for vessels calling at ports along the route. The group has framed attacks on commercial shipping as part of its response to actions it says are linked to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Further independent verification of Monday’s reported strike and its aftermath was not immediately available. International maritime authorities and regional governments continue to monitor the area for additional incidents and to assess risks to commercial traffic in the Red Sea and adjoining waterways.