Aden (South24 Center)

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia said Wednesday, Aug. 5, that it fired several ballistic missiles at a Saudi tanker off the Red Sea port of Yanbu, claiming the vessel was hit.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree identified the ship as Wafa and said the missiles achieved a “precise hit.” The group provided no evidence to support the claim.

Saudi authorities and the vessel’s operator had not confirmed the attack by the time of publication. No independent information was immediately available about the ship’s condition, its crew or possible damage.

The vessel named by the Houthis appears to be NCC WAFA, a Saudi-flagged chemical and petroleum-products tanker operated within the fleet of Saudi shipping company Bahri. It is not classified as a crude oil tanker.

The Houthis said the attack was part of what they call the “siege for a siege” campaign, a phrase the group has used to justify its expanding operations against Saudi shipping and energy interests.

The group announced what it described as a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20 and warned companies against dealing with Saudi ports. It later claimed attacks on several Saudi-linked vessels, including ENCELIA, LAYLA, NCC MASA and NCC GHAZAL.

Saudi Arabia confirmed that some vessels sustained damage, while several other Houthi claims have not been independently verified. Riyadh responded with airstrikes on Houthi military sites in Yemen’s western Hodeidah governorate.

The latest claim is significant because Yanbu is one of Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea oil export centers and the western endpoint of the East-West pipeline, which carries crude from the kingdom’s Eastern Province.

The announcement comes amid growing risks to commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden. Saudi Arabia has announced plans for a multinational maritime coalition to protect shipping and energy routes in the region.