Key facts
- Yemen's Houthis targeted the Saudi oil tanker Amzan in the Red Sea off Yanbu with a ballistic missile and drones.
- Saudi Arabia confirmed the attack, with shipping company Bahri stating its vessel was involved in a hostile incident.
- The Houthi military spokesman described the attacks as part of the 'siege for siege' operation.
- The Houthis also claimed to have destroyed over ten trucks loaded with weapons targeting Yemeni people in Al-Abr and Al-Wadi'ah areas.
- The Houthis stated they killed and injured dozens, including commanders, and destroyed weapons depots in the Al-Kanais area.
Yemen's Houthi rebels announced on Monday that they targeted the Saudi oil tanker Amzan in the Red Sea off Yanbu with a ballistic missile and drones. Saudi Arabia subsequently confirmed the incident, with its shipping company Bahri stating that the Amzan vessel was involved in a hostile act in regional waters.
Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the Houthi rebels, described the attacks as part of the 'siege for siege' operation, which aims to impose naval restrictions on Saudi shipping. The Houthis also claimed to have carried out two other military operations, one targeting a Saudi military convoy in the Al-Abr and Al-Wadi'ah areas, resulting in the destruction of over ten trucks loaded with weapons. The second operation targeted Saudi forces in the Al-Kanais area, reportedly causing deaths, injuries, and the destruction of weapons depots.
These actions follow the Houthis' stated objectives, which include 'siege for siege,' striking Saudi troop buildups, and protecting Yemen's sovereignty. The group asserted that its naval measures have imposed a tight blockade on Saudi interests. Aramco facilities have reportedly been targeted at least four times in recent weeks. An IRGC spokesman commented that Saudi Arabia cannot defeat the Houthis, highlighting the Houthis' leverage due to the geography of oil transit chokepoints like the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.