• An Indian commercial ship has come under attack in the Red Sea near Yemen, with all 14 crew rescued by the Yemeni coastguard.

Pakistan-flagged oil tankers cross Bab al-Mandeb despite Houthi blockade

Two Pakistan-flagged oil tankers carrying Saudi crude have sailed through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb without incident, despite the Houthi blockade against Saudi Arabia, according to maritime intelligence company Windward.

The Aframax crude tankers loaded oil at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port before travelling back to Pakistan with their tracking systems switched on, Windward said.

Since the Houthis announced the blockade on July 20, Saudi-linked tankers, excluding vessels affiliated with China, have either been attacked or diverted around the Cape of Good Hope, the company said.

The crossings came days after Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry warned the Houthis that any attack on a Pakistani-flagged vessel would be treated as a threat to the country’s security.

Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi oil tanker in northern Red Sea

The movement’s military spokesperson says the Saudi oil tanker Wafa has been targeted with ballistic missiles off the coast of Yanbu.

Eight Saudi tankers targeted since blockade started, Houthis say

The latest ballistic missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker is part of the “implementation of the Yemeni Armed Forces’ decision to impose a maritime blockade” on the neighboring country, the Houthi military spokesman says.

He said that the tanker, named Wafa, was targeted with several ballistic missiles, claiming “the strike was precise”.

“With this latest attack, the total number of Saudi oil tankers targeted by our forces since the start of the maritime blockade on July 22 has reached eight,” the statement said.

“Meanwhile, the total number of Saudi oil tankers that have been prevented from proceeding and forced to turn back in the Red and Arabian Seas has reached 29.

Brent crude futures surpass $80 as Houthis claim attack on Red Sea tanker

Brent crude futures were up $1.51, or 1.9 percent, at $80.87 a barrel by 11:23 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate futures gained 90 cents, or 1.19 percent, to $76.67.

The latest price moves come as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said earlier that they had attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the northern Red Sea, denting hopes of a de-escalation in Iran war hostilities that could restore shipping traffic and oil flows in the Middle East.

The Houthis said they had launched a ballistic missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off the coast of Yanbu, a key port for Saudi crude oil exports.

Houthis escalate naval blockade, targeting Saudi ships amid calls to lift Yemen siege

This is the eighth ship that has been attacked since July 22 when the Ansar Allah Houthi group announced that they were imposing a naval blockade.

According to the statement that was released earlier today by the Ansar Allah group, 29 Saudi ships have been prevented from proceeding, both from the Red Sea and from the Arabian Sea.

Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ spokesperson, mentioned very clearly that the attacks will only continue to escalate and they will continue to impose a naval blockade on all Saudi shipments until the blockade on Yemen is lifted.

They believe that Saudi Arabia is imposing a siege on Yemen and is preventing goods from entering the port of Hodeidah, which is the only port that’s under the control of the Ansar Allah group. It is responsible for 80 to 90 percent of goods that are imported into Yemen.

The Houthis are saying that Saudi Arabia must lift the blockade that was imposed on the territories under their control since 2015.

The Ansar Allah group believes that they are justified in their imposition of their own version of a blockade to prevent Saudi shipments. Ultimately, their demand is for Saudi Arabia to lift the blockade.

However, some experts believe that this is in coordination with Iran. The Yemeni group has announced that they are allies of Iran and with Iran imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Yemeni group also wants to coordinate with Iran to also strangle global crude oil traffic by imposing their version of a blockade on Bab al-Mandeb.

If you can get both of these straits closed by Iran and Iran’s ally in the region, the Ansar Allah group, it could stir the international trade economy into a frenzy, which is what we are seeing right now. In fact, the crude oil tanker trade has fallen by 69 percent since the Ansar Allah group announced the blockade on July 22.

Loud explosion reported near vessel off Yemen’s coast, crew safe: UKMTO

The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) says a vessel off the coast of Yemen has reported a loud explosion nearby.

The incident took place 95 nautical miles (176km) south-east of Aden, Yemen, according to UKMTO, adding that all the vessel’s crew are “accounted for and safe”.

Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted Saudi oil vessel in Gulf of Aden

In a statement on Telegram, the group’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said that it targeted a Saudi oil vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

The vessel, the Daisy, was targeted by a ballistic missile, Saree said, which hit the ship, forcing it to turn around.

“This targeting is part of an effort to enforce a maritime blockade on the Saudi enemy”, the statement continued.

There was no confirmation from Saudi Arabia.

Yemen FM, UN envoy discuss Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping

The foreign minister for Yemen’s internationally recognized government, Afrah Alzouba, has discussed the political and humanitarian situation in Yemen with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, according to Yemen’s Foreign Ministry.

During the virtual meeting, Alzouba said Houthi attacks on commercial vessels threaten international navigation in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden, accusing the Iran-aligned group of using Yemen to fuel wider regional escalation. She also called for increased international pressure on the Houthis to engage seriously in peace efforts.

Grundberg reaffirmed the importance of preventing further regional escalation and advancing a just and comprehensive political process to achieve security and stability in Yemen.