The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile about 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, early Monday morning. This incident caused a fire on the tanker’s main deck. Fortunately, all crew members are safe and accounted for, and there has been no reported environmental damage.
Maritime security analyst Martine Kelly, who heads advisory services at EOS Risk Group, identified the tanker as the Saudi-flagged, Bahri-owned VLCC AMZAN (IMO 9693745). She stated that the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile at the vessel, which was on its way from Ain Sukhna, Egypt, to Yanbu when it was struck.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for this attack.
This incident is part of the Houthis’ ongoing campaign against commercial shipping connected to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. It follows a series of attacks on Saudi tankers that have occurred over the past month.
Kelly noted that Monday's attack aligns with the Houthis' targeting strategy, which focuses on vessels that are either Saudi-flagged, Saudi-owned or managed, as well as ships that visit Saudi ports.
So far, no confirmed attacks have been reported against ships that are not Saudi-flagged just for stopping at Saudi ports in the Red Sea. Nevertheless, she emphasized that this does not mean the threat has diminished.
The Joint Maritime Information Center has assessed the threat level in the Bab el-Mandeb and southern Red Sea as SUBSTANTIAL. They highlighted Houthi claims that these waters are effectively closed to vessels affiliated with Saudi Arabia and warned that further attacks are a “strong possibility.”