The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Wednesday they had targeted a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea as part of an ongoing maritime blockade in retaliation of Saudi blockade, warning of further escalation against Saudi shipping routes.
In a statement, the Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the tanker “Wafa” was precisely struck by multiple ballistic missiles in the northern Red Sea, off the coast of Yanbu.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces… successfully targeted the Saudi oil tanker ‘Wafa’ in the northern Red Sea… with several ballistic missiles. The strike was precise,” the statement said.
The spokesman said the operation was carried out in line with its declared policy of a “blockade for blockade,” aimed at imposing pressure on Saudi Arabia in retaliation for the Kingdom’s blockade against Yemen.
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عملية عسكرية استهدفت سفينة "وفاء" النفطية السعودية شمالي البحر الأحمر أمام منطقة "ينبع" وذلك بعدد من الصواريخ الباليستية محققة إصابة دقيقة بفضل الله، وذلك في إطار معادلة "الحصار بالحصار". pic.twitter.com/BGw1NHqBpZ
— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) August 5, 2026
The latest strike brings the total number of Saudi oil tankers targeted since the blockade began on July 22 to eight, Brig. Gen. Saree added. He noted that 29 tankers had been forced to turn back or prevented from continuing their routes in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.
“With this attack, the total number of Saudi oil tankers targeted by our forces since the maritime blockade began on July 22 has reached eight,” it added.
The Yemeni Armed Forces said it had tightened its naval operations around the strategic Bab Al-Mandab, prompting Saudi tankers to reroute toward the northern Red Sea.
It warned that future operations would increasingly focus on northern Red Sea routes, with the stated aim of “closing all ports” to Saudi oil shipments and preventing their passage, signaling a potential widening of the maritime confrontation.
Source: Al-Manar English Website