Houthis Claim Ballistic Missile Attacks on Saudi Oil Tankers in Red Sea
On August 5, 2026, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis claimed ballistic missile strikes on two Saudi oil tankers—the Wafaa in the northern Red Sea off Yanbu and the Daisy in the Gulf of Aden—marking the eighth and ninth such attacks since imposing a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. The strikes, tied to Saudi rerouting of exports northward to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait amid Iran’s parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, caused sharp drops in shipping traffic through both straits. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the attacks.
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Gulf shipping traffic drops after Houthis claim attack on Saudi tanker
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb strait dropped sharply on August 5, 2026, according to Kpler data. Only two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, down from eight the previous day, and just one vessel crossed the Bab-el-Mandeb, down from 20. The decline follows Houthi claims of missile attacks on a Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu and another in the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month, citing a Saudi siege on Yemen, which Riyadh denies. No Saudi confirmation of the attacks has been reported. The straits typically see 130-140 ships daily before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began in February.
Yemen's Houthis Claim Attacks on Two Saudi Oil Tankers Amid Red Sea Blockade
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced on August 5, 2026, that they attacked two Saudi oil tankers, the Wafa in the northern Red Sea off Yanbu and the Daisy in the Gulf of Aden, using ballistic missiles. A Houthi military spokesman stated these were the eighth and ninth Saudi oil tankers targeted since the group imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia last month. The blockade has forced Saudi Arabia to divert its oil tankers to the northern Red Sea, as Iran's parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz cut off the kingdom's other maritime route. The Houthis vowed to escalate attacks in the northern Red Sea to close all access points. Data from maritime tracker Kpler showed Saudi seaborne crude exports via the Bab al-Mandeb strait surged eightfold between March and mid-July 2026 compared to 2025, with nearly all exports departing from Yanbu port. Saudi authorities had no immediate comment.
Gulf shipping traffic down after Houthis claim attack on Saudi tanker
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb strait dropped sharply on August 5, 2026, after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed missile attacks on a Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu and another in the Gulf of Aden. Kpler data showed only two vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz, down from eight the previous day, and one vessel crossed Bab el-Mandeb, down from 20. The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea since last month, citing a Saudi siege on Yemen, which Riyadh denies. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the attacks. The decline in traffic follows the broader disruption caused by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that began in February, when Iran closed the strait.
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Yemen's Houthis Claim Attacks on Two Saudi Oil Tankers Amid Maritime Blockade
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced on August 5, 2026, that they attacked two Saudi oil tankers, the Wafa in the northern Red Sea and the Daisy in the Gulf of Aden, using ballistic missiles. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated these were the eighth and ninth Saudi oil tankers targeted since the start of a maritime blockade last month. The group declared it would escalate attacks in the northern Red Sea, claiming Saudi Arabia is diverting its oil tankers there from the south in response to the blockade. This comes as Iran's parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off Saudi Arabia's other maritime route, making the Red Sea port of Yanbu and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait critical for Saudi oil exports. Data from maritime tracker Kpler showed Saudi seaborne crude exports via Bab al-Mandeb surged eightfold between March and mid-July 2026 compared to 2025, reaching nearly 100 million barrels in June. Saudi authorities had no immediate comment.
Houthis Claim Ballistic Missile Hit on Saudi Oil Tanker in Red Sea
The Iran-aligned Houthi group in Yemen claimed on Wednesday a precise ballistic missile strike on the Saudi-flagged oil tanker 'Wafaa' (NCC WAFA) in the northern Red Sea off the Yanbu area. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated the attack used several ballistic missiles and achieved a precise hit. Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported the tanker had been transmitting until July 19, then went dark and likely U-turned north after the Houthis announced a blockade on July 22, but was struck hundreds of kilometers from the declared blockade zone. The Houthis explicitly tied the strike to Saudi tankers rerouting north to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and vowed escalation. The group claims to have targeted 8 Saudi tankers and intercepted 29 since the blockade announcement. Saudi Arabia has rerouted some exports northward to Egypt and the Suez Canal, while other vessels transit the Bab el-Mandeb in dark mode.