Yemen's Houthis claim missile attacks on two Saudi oil tankers off Yanbu and in the Gulf of Aden, intensifying their Red Sea naval blockade against Riyadh.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement declared Wednesday that its forces executed missile strikes against a pair of Saudi oil tankers - one positioned near the Red Sea port of Yanbu and another navigating the Gulf of Aden, Reuters reported. Saudi officials have not corroborated either reported engagement. Speaking on behalf of the Houthi armed forces, military spokesman Yahya Saree did not provide a specific timeline for when the strikes occurred. The reported missile launches mark a continuation of the maritime interdiction campaign instituted by Houthi leadership last month in the Red Sea.
The group established the shipping blockade in response to measures restricting air transport and commercial access into Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. Following the initial blockade announcement, the Saudi government pledged to employ all authorized international legal remedies to protect its maritime shipping traffic.
These maritime developments follow intense land battles in western Yemen, where government troops clashed with Houthi fighters south of Hodeidah province, leaving a minimum of 50 Houthi insurgents dead and dozens more injured. The conflict further broadened when Houthi sources accused Saudi aviation of conducting airstrikes against Sanaa International Airport. However, Yemen's internationally recognized administration claimed responsibility for that raid, maintaining that the action was executed to block an incoming Iranian aircraft. In retaliation, Houthi units launched missile strikes into southwestern Saudi Arabia, targeting areas adjacent to Abha Airport. (Source)
