Yemeni Forces Target Saudi Oil Tanker, Announce Plans to Intensify Naval Blockade

The Yemeni Armed Forces declared on Wednesday that a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea had been targeted, amid an ongoing blockade in response to the Saudi-led blockade. They also warned of potential further escalation impacting Saudi shipping routes.

In an official statement, Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that the tanker “Wafa” was accurately targeted by several ballistic missiles in the northern Red Sea, near the coast of Yanbu.

The Yemeni Armed Forces announced they have successfully executed a precise strike on the Saudi oil tanker “Wafa” in the northern Red Sea, utilizing several ballistic missiles.

The spokesperson revealed that the operation was conducted in accordance with its stated “blockade for blockade” policy, designed to exert pressure on Saudi Arabia in response to the Kingdom’s blockade on Yemen.

Brig. Gen. Saree reported that the most recent strike has increased the total number of Saudi oil tankers impacted since the blockade’s initiation on July 22 to eight. Additionally, he highlighted that 29 tankers have either been compelled to return or obstructed from proceeding with their journeys in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.

The statement noted that following the latest assault, the number of Saudi oil tankers targeted by their forces since the onset of the maritime blockade on July 22 has now increased to eight.

The Yemeni Armed Forces announced an intensification of naval activities near the strategically vital Bab Al-Mandab Strait, leading Saudi tankers to alter their course towards the northern part of the Red Sea.

The warning indicates a strategic shift towards intensifying operations along northern Red Sea routes, with the declared objective of “closing all ports” to block Saudi oil shipments and hinder their transit. This move suggests a possible escalation in the maritime conflict.