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Missiles at NCC Ghazal
Yemen’s Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, said they attacked the Saudi oil tanker NCC GHAZAL with ballistic missiles in the Red Sea after accusing the vessel of violating a maritime navigation ban and ignoring warnings.
“ALBAWABA- Yemen's Houthis claimed on Tuesday that they launched a ballistic missile attack on a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea, saying the ship had violated their declared naval blockade despite repeated warnings”
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the missile fire forced the vessel to change course, writing on his Telegram channel that the operation targeted the tanker “for violating the maritime navigation ban and ignoring warnings,”.
Roya News also quoted Saree saying the ship was targeted with “several ballistic missiles” after ignoring warnings, and claimed the attack forced it to retreat and return.
The reports tied the attack to a broader Houthi escalation strategy, with Saree saying the group would continue enforcing its maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia under the principle of “blockade in response to blockade and full escalation in response to full escalation.”
Riyadh vows response
Roya News reported that Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet said it would not tolerate threats to the Kingdom’s security, national interests, or critical infrastructure, condemning attacks by “Iran-backed militias in Yemen and Iraq” targeting Saudi oil facilities and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
In the same account, the Cabinet added that Riyadh would respond decisively to hostile acts targeting its security and critical infrastructure, in accordance with international humanitarian law, customary international law, and the principle of proportionality.
Yemen Online framed the Houthi claim as targeting the Saudi oil tanker NCC GHAZAL for violating the naval blockade imposed on the Kingdom, with Yahya Saree saying the vessel ignored warning calls.
Big News Network, citing Xinhua, said the Houthi claim could not be independently verified and reported there was no immediate response from Saudi authorities or the vessel’s operator.
Blockade escalation and risks
Multiple outlets described the Houthi operation as part of an ongoing maritime campaign, with Yahya Saree saying the group would continue enforcing what it called a maritime embargo on Saudi-linked shipping under the principle of “blockade for blockade.”
“Creating new perspectives since 2009 July 28, 2026 at 7:44 pm Yemen’s Houthi group shows the firing of the so-called surface-to-surface ‘hypersonic ballistic missile’ at an unrevealed site in Yemen on September 16, 2024 [Houthi Media Center via Getty Images] Yemen’s Houthi group claimed Tuesday that it targeted the Saudi oil tanker NCC GHAZAL with ballistic missiles, forcing the vessel to turn back,Anadolu reports”
The Al-Bawaba report said the latest claim followed the group’s announcement of a naval blockade on Saudi shipping on July 20, describing it as a response to what the Houthis said were Saudi military actions and restrictions imposed on Yemen.
In parallel, the reports described Saudi countermeasures and legal framing, with the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed-generated account saying the Saudi Ministry of Defense indicated that air defenses intercepted and destroyed drones launched from Iraqi territory targeting oil facilities in the Eastern Province.
The same account said Saudi authorities would take “all necessary measures to protect its ships” in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, while also noting that the Houthis’ spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam denied any intent to close Bab al-Mandeb or disrupt international navigation through it.
