• Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen claims responsibility for attacking Saudi tanker NCC Wafa in the Red Sea, targeting vessel near Yanbu port used for oil exports, escalating conflict with Saudi-backed government.
• Houthis have attacked eight Saudi tankers and forced 29 others to change course in the region, raising concerns about closure of strategically important Bab al-Mandab strait, a key route for global maritime trade.
• Houthi militia in Yemen receives support from Iran, aims to resist Israeli and US influence in the region, operates independently of Tehran compared to Hezbollah in Lebanon, with primary goal of securing power base in Yemen.

The Iranian-allied Houthi militia in Yemen has attacked another Saudi tanker, the group said on Wednesday, firing rockets at the oil tanker NCC Wafa on the Red Sea.

Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the attack targeted the vessel near Yanbu, a Saudi port being used to reroute a large share of its oil exports to world markets, bypassing the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

There was no immediate confirmation or reaction from Saudi Arabia.

The Shiite militia has been waging war in Yemen for more than 10 years against the Saudi-backed government. The conflict escalated again several weeks ago with airstrikes on Sana'a, the Houthi power base in northern Yemen. The Houthis then began attacking Saudi ships in the Red Sea or forcing them to change course.

Saree said the Houthis had so far attacked eight Saudi tankers. In addition, 29 Saudi tankers in the region had been forced to change course because of their threats and attacks, he said.

The attacks have raised fears that the strategically important Bab al-Mandab (Gate of Tears) strait could effectively be closed. Traffic through the strait, which the militia can target from Yemeni territory, is continuing for now, according to independent data providers.

The strait lies on the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe, running via the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. In normal times, around 10% of global maritime trade passes through the Bab al-Mandab.

Houthi attacks in the region from 2023 onwards had already severely disrupted global trade.

The Houthis are allied with Tehran and receive financial and military support from Iran.

They are also part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, which aims to push back Israeli and US influence in the region under Tehran's leadership. Compared with the powerful Hezbollah in Lebanon, however, the Houthis operate more independently of Tehran. Their primary goal is to secure their power base in Yemen.