Fourth Saudi Tanker Targeted in Houthi Red Sea Blockade Campaign

The Iran-backed Houthis claimed Tuesday they attacked a fourth Saudi-linked tanker since announcing a maritime blockade on Saudi ports, underscoring the escalating threat to commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

In a statement carried by Houthi-affiliated media, the group's military spokesman said Yemeni forces targeted the Saudi-flagged chemical/products tanker NCC GHAZAL with multiple ballistic missiles after it allegedly violated the group's maritime navigation ban.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting the Saudi oil tanker (NCC GHAZAL) for violating the maritime navigation ban imposed on the Saudi enemy and ignoring the warning calls, using a number of ballistic missiles, and it was forced to retreat and return by the grace of God," the spokesman said.

The statement added that the Houthis would continue enforcing what they described as a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia under a policy of "siege by siege and comprehensive escalation by comprehensive escalation."

Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group, said on X that NCC GHAZAL was struck by anti-ship missiles while transiting the southern Red Sea and was forced to turn around, describing it as the fourth Saudi tanker targeted since the Houthis announced their blockade of Saudi ports.

The Houthis' claim coincides with a warning issued by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, which reported that the master of an unidentified tanker heard an explosion while transiting the southern Red Sea near Jizan, Saudi Arabia. UKMTO said the crew and vessel were safe and no environmental damage had been reported but did not identify the vessel or attribute the incident to an attack.

According to Equasis records, NCC GHAZAL is a Saudi-flagged 49,990-deadweight-ton chemical and oil products tanker built in 2014. The vessel is managed by Bahri Ship Management DMCC and owned by National Chemical Carriers Co.

Neither Bahri nor Saudi authorities had publicly commented on the Houthi claim at the time of publication, and gCaptain has not independently verified that NCC GHAZAL was the vessel referenced in the UKMTO advisory.

The latest claim marks another escalation in the Houthis' campaign against Saudi shipping. The group recently expanded its maritime operations, announcing a blockade targeting Saudi ports in response to what it describes as Saudi support for U.S. military operations against Yemen.

The renewed attacks have further complicated security conditions in the Red Sea, where commercial traffic had already been recovering only slowly from nearly two years of Houthi attacks.

Shipping companies continue to weigh the risks of transiting the region as security warnings persist and military tensions across the Middle East remain elevated.