Houthi Missiles Strike Saudi Oil Tanker Near Yanbu

The Houthi group attacked the Amzan, a Saudi Arabian oil supertanker, with ballistic missiles and drones on Monday, August 24, 2026. The strike occurred approximately 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu, a critical strategic hub for Saudi oil exports. The attack caused a fire on the vessel's main deck, though the Saudi shipping company Bahri and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed all crew members are safe and no environmental impact occurred.

The operation is part of a "siege for siege" strategy declared by the Houthis last month to enforce a maritime blockade on Saudi-linked vessels. This escalation follows an August 17 ballistic missile attack on a Saudi military landing ship near Mocha, Yemen. Simultaneously, the Houthis claimed to have destroyed over ten trucks in a Saudi military convoy in the Al-Abr and Al-Wadi'ah areas and attacked forces in Al-Kanais.

These attacks occur as Saudi Arabia reroutes oil exports through the Red Sea to avoid an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In response to the threats, the Government of Saudi Arabia and 13 other nations have formed a defensive naval coalition to protect commercial shipping. Mohammad Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, asserted that Saudi Arabia lacks the military capability to cope with the Yemeni fighters.