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Houthis target tanker
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed they forced a Saudi oil tanker to turn back as part of what they call a blockade of the kingdom, after the targeting of the Saudi vessel came “after it ignored warnings,” a Houthi military spokesman said.
The spokesman identified the ship as the NCC Ghazal and said it had been “forced to turn back,” while MarineTraffic listed the Ghazal as a Saudi-flagged tanker whose last known location was the port of Yanbu.
Saudi Arabia had not commented on the Houthis’ claim, but it said it intercepted drones targeting oil facilities in its east and blamed pro-Iran militias in Iraq for launching the attacks.
The Houthis’ maritime blockade was described as threatening Saudi Arabia’s ability to get its supplies to the world, following Iran’s parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities resumed in the Middle East war.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said a tanker reported hearing explosions while travelling in the southern Red Sea, and it said the crew and ship were safe.
Saudi-Iraq drone blame
Saudi Arabia said it shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq for a second day in a row, and the Saudi Defence Ministry said air defences intercepted and destroyed several drones that tried to target petroleum facilities in the country's eastern region.
The Saudi Defence Ministry said the attacks were 'once again launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by Iran-affiliated terrorist militias', and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered security agencies to investigate after a similar allegation on Monday.
The Iraqi military said Iraq was committed to 'preventing Iraqi territory from being used as a route or launching point for any attack targeting brotherly or friendly countries', while the Iraqi militias denied any role in the drone attacks.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq called the Saudi claims 'fabrications' and suggested that Monday's attacks had been carried out by the Houthis, who had themselves claimed to have targeted Saudi oil facilities.
In parallel, the Houthis said they had fired missiles at the Saudi oil tanker NCC Ghazal, forcing it to turn back, as the latest flare-up threatened a 2022 truce in the Yemen conflict.
Red Sea risk and next steps
After the Houthi claim about the NCC Ghazal, the UKMTO centre said it received a report of suspicious activity after the master of a tanker reported hearing an explosion while transiting the southern Red Sea, and it said the crew and vessel were safe.
UKMTO advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity, and it did not identify the tanker or attribute the reported explosion to any party.
MarineTraffic data showed diverging patterns at Bab al-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, with Bab al-Mandeb recording 100 verified crossings between July 24 and 26, compared with 29 verified crossings through the Strait of Hormuz.
The same MarineTraffic reporting said crossings through Bab al-Mandeb significantly outnumbered those through the Strait of Hormuz, and it said several ships that had previously delayed journeys or reversed course later completed their crossings.
The dispute also fed into broader regional stakes, with the Houthis’ blockade described as threatening Saudi Arabia’s ability to export supplies after the Strait of Hormuz remained restricted amid the U.S.-Iran conflict and attacks on commercial vessels.
