Houthis claim strike on Saudi oil tanker in Red Sea

• Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted the Saudi-flagged oil tanker Amzan with a ballistic missile off Yanbu.
• The claim has not been confirmed by Saudi Arabia, while UK maritime authorities reported a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the same area.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group said Monday that it targeted a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea with a ballistic missile, claiming the strike caused a large fire aboard the vessel.

The group’s military spokesman said the tanker, named Amzan, was targeted off the coast of Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia.

"The missile strike was precise and direct, resulting in a large fire on the vessel," the spokesman said.

There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities.

Earlier Monday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a tanker had been struck by an unknown projectile about 63 nautical miles, or 117 kilometers, west of Yanbu.

The agency did not identify the vessel or determine who was responsible for the incident.

The reported attack comes amid an escalation in Houthi maritime operations targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. Reuters has previously reported Houthi claims of attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the region, with Saudi Arabia not immediately confirming some of the incidents.

The latest incident adds to growing risks for commercial shipping and energy transport along the Red Sea, a key route connecting Middle Eastern oil exporters with global markets.