The Houthis attack a Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu in the Red Sea

The Yemeni armed group claimed responsibility on Monday for a ballistic missile attack on the oil tanker "Amzan," owned by the Saudi national shipping company Bahri, off the port of Yanbu. All crew members are safe and sound, according to the shipowner.

The Houthis announced in a military statement that they had targeted the ship "Amzan" with a ballistic missile near the Saudi coast. The Bahri shipping company confirmed the incident, stating that it remained in contact with the vessel and was coordinating closely with the relevant authorities. No injuries were reported among the crew.

“The safety of our personnel, the protection of the marine environment, and the safe handling of the vessel remain our absolute priorities,” Bahri said in his statement. Saudi Arabia has not provided any official confirmation; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment.

Earlier in the day, the British agency UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that an oil tanker had been hit by an unidentified projectile about 63 nautical miles (117 km) west of Yanbu.

The Houthis presented the strike as "an implementation of the armed forces' decision to deny maritime access to the Saudi enemy." According to their statement, the strike "was precise and direct, causing a fire on board the ship and forcing several other vessels in the area to flee."

Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's main oil port on the Red Sea, through which several million barrels of oil typically pass daily. Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, blocked by Iran, this waterway has become the preferred exit route for Saudi tankers. Last month, the Houthis imposed a blockade on ships linked to Riyadh in the Red Sea, and have since stepped up their attacks against Saudi targets.

These actions are part of a broader strategy to limit Saudi energy exports amid the conflict between Iran and the United States. In recent weeks, the group has also killed seven people at a Yemeni port, targeted a refinery in Saudi Arabia, and carried out a double strike against a cargo ship in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, killing at least six and wounding ten.