Yemen's Houthi rebels said they fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of Yanbu, a major Saudi port city in the northern Red Sea, marking their northernmost attack since imposing a blockade on Saudi Arabia on 22 July. An airport in Saudi Arabia suspended service following the attack, according to a report.
The rebels said the tanker, the NCC Wafaa, had violated the blockade and ignored warning calls before being struck. Until now, Houthi attacks had mostly targeted ships off Yemen's coast in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Analysts warn that a shift north towards Egypt and the Suez Canal would increase economic pressure on the Gulf kingdom.
Saudi Arabia had kept part of its oil flowing through the alternative Bab al-Mandab route since the US-Israel war on Iran began, but the Houthi blockade on the strait now limits that option. The Saudi-led coalition has been at war with the Houthis since 2015, after the rebels seized the capital Sanaa and forced out the internationally recognised government.