Yemen’s Houthis claim attack on two Saudi oil tankers

Yemen’s Houthis claim attack on two Saudi oil tankers

Yemen's Houthi group said early Thursday that they carried out a military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers with ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones. The group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, claimed the operation targeted the Saudi oil tankers Encelia and Layla for violating what the group described as its maritime blockade. According to Saree, the operation forced nearly 10 vessels to turn back and retreat. He also warned Saudi Arabia that any attack on Yemen would be met with major operations deep inside Saudi territory. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported a fire broke out aboard a tanker after it was struck by a projectile about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shaqiq, Saudi Arabia. The incident occurred shortly after the Houthis announced a ban on maritime navigation to Saudi Arabia, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to vow a "firm and forceful" response and begin measures to protect vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Royal Navy's UKMTO Centre verified an attack on an LR2 tanker, with the vessel master reporting crew are fighting a fire on board. Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech said the attack hit Encelia, a 109,300-dwt LR2 tanker listed under the commercial control of Saudi Arabian company Bihar International in shipping databases. The attack took place 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia. The Master of a tanker reported being struck by an unknown projectile which caused a fire onboard that the crew were currently fighting. No official reports have emerged on the second alleged attack against the 317,821-dwt VLCC Layla, which is unverified at the time of writing. Shipping databases list the vessel under ownership and management of the Saudi national tanker company Bahri. An official Houthi-linked organisation, HOCC, warned that vessels loading or discharging cargo at Saudi ports may be targeted "in any location" within the operational reach of Houthi forces. At least three vessels altered course in the Red Sea after loading Saudi crude oil at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu export facility on July 21, according to UK-based maritime risk analysts Vanguard Tech. An additional six vessels had appeared to alter planned voyages on July 22. The latest ships to change course were pure car carrier Liu Jiang Kou and tankers Trust, Navig8 Express, Mica, Agios Gerasimos, and Amazon. The initial wave of vessels making apparent U-turns were named as tankers Xin Long Yang, Rodos, and New Prime. Vanguard cautioned that no direct links to the Houthi-announced ’embargo’ could be made, but that "the announcement is likely influencing commercial voyage planning for vessels operating to or from Saudi Arabian ports". The U.S. And Saudi governments have signed a commercial nuclear deal that could allow Saudi Arabia to have a civilian nuclear program on its soil in cooperation with American companies. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed what the Trump administration calls a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement, along with a safeguard agreement. Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. The latest development has fueled concerns that the de-escalation since a 2022 UN truce could unravel.