Tanker struck in Red Sea, UK maritime agency says

DPAThu, July 23, 2026 at 5:03 AM UTC2 min readAdd Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.Key takeawaysPowered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

• A tanker in the Red Sea was struck by an unknown projectile causing a fire on board, with no casualties or environmental impact reported.
• The Saudi Arabian Transportation Authority confirmed the fire broke out at the bow of the tanker, and the crew was safe, while authorities were investigating the incident as a violation of international laws and conventions.
• Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, causing fires on both vessels and forcing around 10 other ships to turn back, amid ongoing tensions in the region.

See more

A tanker in the Red Sea was struck by an unknown projectile that caused a fire on board, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre said late on Wednesday.

The ship's master reported the incident around 70 nautical miles, or nearly 130 kilometres, south-west of Al-Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia, UKMTO said.

The crew was fighting the fire, with no casualties or environmental impact reported. Authorities were investigating.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

An official from the Saudi Arabian Transportation Authority told state news agency SPA that the fire broke out at the bow of the tanker and that the crew was safe. The attack constituted a violation of international laws and conventions that guaranteed the safety of commercial vessels and their crews, SPA reported.

At around the same time, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia said it had attacked two Saudi oil tankers that had violated a "blockade" it declared in the Red Sea, according to the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency.

The militia said missiles, cruise missiles and drones were used in the attacks. Fires broke out on both vessels and around 10 other ships were forced to turn back, it said.

It was unclear whether the two reports referred to the same incident.

Houthis announce shipping ban on Saudi Arabia

The Houthis announced a "blockade" of Saudi vessels on Monday, around a week after a new confrontation with neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which has been at war with the militia for more than a decade.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

A "shipping ban" on Saudi Arabia was now in force, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said, without specifying the waters to which it applied.

The Houthis control mainly northern Yemen and large parts of the country's western Red Sea coast. From there, they can target vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait using missiles, drones and cruise missiles.

The strait, together with the Strait of Hormuz, is one of the world's most important shipping routes.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively blockaded amid the war with Iran, Saudi Arabia is currently exporting much of its oil through a pipeline running from the east of the country to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

AdvertisementAdvertisement

Since 2023, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, initially linked to the Gaza war, have severely disrupted global trade.

The Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, meaning "Gateway of Tears" or "Gateway of Grief," form part of the shipping route from Asia to Europe through the Suez Canal.