Houthis claim attack on Saudi tanker Wafa near Yanbu port

The Houthis have claimed to have hit the Saudi-flagged tanker Wafa off the coast of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. The claim has not been verified by Saudi authorities or independent maritime sources.

Vessel NCC WAFA, image credit:Krijn Hamelink

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree on 5 August stated that the group had successfully targeted the tanker Wafa believed to be NCC Wafa off the coast of Yanbu with a number of ballistic missiles. They further claimed that this is the eighth Saudi tanker they have hit since beginning their blockade on 22 July.

The Houthis have declared that they will continue to attack vessels in the northern Red Sea because Saudi Arabia is diverting its crude exports to the port of Yanbu.

Yanbu has become a major Saudi export outlet due to regional disruption in crude exports. Saudis are now rerouting crude through the Yanbu port via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects to the Indian Ocean.

Given the now crucial nature of the Yanbu port, the Houthis have claimed they would escalate attacks on tankers in the Red Sea to "close off all access points and prevent their passage."