A Saudi-flagged tanker travelling through the Red Sea caught fire after being struck by an unknown projectile on Monday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The incident took place around 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu, a major Saudi Arabian oil port on the Red Sea coast. The port has been gaining attention as an alternative trade path due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
UKMTO’s notification highlighted that a projectile caused a fire on the vessel’s main deck. However, the British maritime security agency did not identify who launched the attack or what type of projectile was used.
UKMTO added that the vessel’s crew were safe and accounted for, and no environmental impact has been reported. The agency has advised vessels to exercise caution while transiting the area and report any suspicious activity.
The incident comes after Houthis announced a blockade on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea last month. This led Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia, to form a defensive naval coalition to protect commercial vessels navigating such critical points.
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are an Islamist political and military organisation that originated in North Yemen in the 1990s. The Houthis have carried out multiple attacks on Saudi oil facilities and shipping in the Red Sea in recent weeks. They claimed to have targeted Saudi oil giant Aramco facilities in Yanbu in July.
On August 5, the Houthis executed a targeted strike against a Saudi oil tanker “Wafaa” in the northern Red Sea.
“With this operation, the total number of ships targeted by our forces has reached eight Saudi oil ships since the start of the maritime ban on July 22nd. Meanwhile, the total number of ships prevented and forced to retreat and return in the Red and Arabian Seas has reached 29 Saudi oil ships,” spokesperson Yahya Saree posted on X.
Subsequently, six people were killed in a strike on a cargo ship to the south of the port city of Mocha, and 10 others were injured.
This was followed by another ballistic missile attack on Saudi military and four escort boats in the Red Sea near the southwestern port city of Mocha.
The security threats from the group, combined with disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the West Asia conflict, have amplified global energy security fears.
