On Monday, Yemen’s Houthis announced they fired a missile at the Liberia-flagged, Israeli-owned tanker ‘Scarlet Ray’ near Yanbu, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port city.
British maritime security firm Ambrey reported on Sunday that the tanker experienced an explosion nearby, southwest of Yanbu.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) stated that a vessel noted “a splash very close from an unidentified projectile and heard a loud noise,” confirming the crew was safe and the ship continued its journey.
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In a subsequent update, Ambrey evaluated the vessel as being “consistent with” the targets of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, given its public Israeli ownership.
Since 2023, the Houthis have targeted ships in the Red Sea they associate with Israel, claiming to support Palestinians in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition since early 2015 to back the Gulf-supported government in Yemen against the Houthis, who took over the capital Sanaa in 2014.
The coalition has previously thwarted attacks using explosive-laden boats said to be launched by the Houthis.
