Yemen’s Houthis announced on Monday that they launched a missile targeting the Liberia-flagged, Israeli-owned tanker ‘Scarlet Ray’ near Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
British maritime security firm Ambrey reported on Sunday that the tanker experienced an explosion nearby, southwest of Yanbu.
A vessel reported “a splash in close proximity from an unknown projectile and heard a loud bang,” according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The vessel’s crew were all safe, and it continued on its next voyage.
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In a later update, Ambrey assessed that the vessel’s profile aligned with the targets of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, given its public Israeli ownership.
Since 2023, the Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea they consider affiliated with Israel, describing their actions as support for Palestinians in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia led a coalition that launched a military campaign in Yemen from early 2015 to support the Gulf-backed government against the Houthis, who had seized the capital Sanaa in 2014.
The coalition has previously thwarted attempted assaults using explosive-laden boats allegedly launched by the Houthis.
