Houthis Strike Saudi Oil Tanker Amzan With Missile and Drones in Red Sea

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militant group struck the Saudi oil tanker Amzan with a ballistic missile and drones in the Red Sea off the port of Yanbu on Monday, the group announced. Saudi Arabia confirmed the attack shortly after initial reports emerged, and Saudi shipping company Bahri confirmed its vessel was struck, adding that all crew members are safe.

What We Know

Yemen’s Houthis announced Monday’s attack on the Amzan, describing the strike as a combined ballistic missile and drone operation. The ship was targeted in the Red Sea off Yanbu — a critical Saudi oil export terminal on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast — making it one of the most geographically significant Houthi maritime strikes in recent months.

Saudi Arabia confirmed the attack after initial Houthi claims, lending official weight to what might otherwise have remained an unverified militant announcement. Bahri, the Saudi state-linked shipping conglomerate that operates the Amzan, confirmed the vessel was struck and stated that all crew members aboard are safe.

The use of a ballistic missile alongside drones marks a combined-arms strike consistent with the escalatory trajectory Houthis have followed since late 2023, when the group began targeting Red Sea shipping in what it frames as retaliation for Israeli military operations in Gaza.

What We Don’t Know

This is a developing story. The extent of structural damage to the Amzan, whether the vessel was carrying crude oil or refined products at the time of the attack, and whether the ship can proceed under its own power have not been confirmed as of publication. No assessment of any environmental impact or cargo spill has been released.

Context

The Houthis have carried out hundreds of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023, forcing major carriers to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope at significant cost and delay. Targeting a Saudi-flagged vessel off Yanbu — rather than a vessel transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait further south — represents a strike deeper into the northern Red Sea than most prior attacks, potentially signaling an expanded operational reach.

Yanbu is one of Saudi Arabia’s primary oil export hubs, with pipeline capacity connecting it to eastern Saudi fields. A sustained Houthi targeting campaign against vessels at or near Yanbu could put direct pressure on Saudi export logistics in ways that attacks further south have not.

The attack comes amid ongoing international efforts to broker a permanent Gaza ceasefire, which the Houthis have conditioned as their stated threshold for halting Red Sea operations. No such deal is in place.

What to Watch

1. Damage assessment: Whether the Amzan sustained hull damage, cargo loss, or propulsion damage — and whether Bahri or Saudi authorities release imagery or a technical update.
2. Saudi and coalition response: Riyadh and U.S. Navy Central Command have periodically intercepted Houthi drones and missiles; any retaliatory strike or shift in naval posture would be significant.
3. Shipping insurance and routing: A confirmed strike this far north in the Red Sea may prompt insurers to revise war-risk premiums and push additional carriers to avoid the corridor entirely.