Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced on the 5th local time that they attacked a Saudi Arabian oil tanker off the coast of Yanbu in the Red Sea.

Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthi rebels, claimed in a televised statement, "We successfully struck the Saudi oil tanker Wafa by launching multiple ballistic missiles off the coast of Yanbu in the northern Red Sea."

He added, "This tanker is the 8th vessel targeted since we began the maritime blockade on June 22."

Yanbu serves as an export route for Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, allowing it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

As crude oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz became difficult due to the Iran war, Saudi Arabia has been routing a significant portion of its crude export volume through east-west pipelines to Yanbu, from where it is transported via the Red Sea.

The Houthi rebels blamed Saudi Arabia for an airstrike last month on the Sanaa airport in Yemen controlled by the group, declared an end to the truce and a maritime blockade, and have since been attacking vessels in the Red Sea.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)