Houthis Say Ballistic Missile Attack Successfully Targeted Another Saudi Oil Tanker in Gulf of Aden

Yemen's Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for what it described as a successful ballistic missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, marking the latest escalation in its campaign targeting Saudi-linked shipping. The Iran-backed group said it fired a ballistic missile at the Saudi tanker Daisy, alleging that the vessel was struck and forced to alter its course.

According to the Houthis, the attack forms part of what they call a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, particularly around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group warned it would continue targeting Saudi oil tankers until its demands are fulfilled and what it describes as the blockade on Yemen is lifted.

The announcement came just one day after the Houthis claimed another missile strike on the Saudi oil tanker Wafaa near the Saudi port city of Yanbu in the northern Red Sea. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attack accurately hit its intended target. Saree further claimed that the group has targeted eight Saudi oil tankers since launching its maritime campaign on July 22. He also asserted that 29 Saudi oil vessels had either been forced to reverse course or prevented from continuing their voyages through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported two separate security incidents in regional waters on August 5. In one case, a tanker sailing about 95 nautical miles southeast of Aden reported hearing a loud explosion near the ship. Authorities said the crew remained safe, the vessel sustained no apparent damage, and there was no environmental impact.

In a separate incident, another tanker navigating the Strait of Hormuz, roughly nine nautical miles southeast of Kumzar, Oman, reported hearing two explosions. UKMTO said the ship and its crew were unharmed, while investigations into both incidents remain ongoing. The Houthi claims have not been independently verified, and there has been no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities regarding the alleged attacks.