Attack On Saudi Owned Vessel In Red Sea: Report (Represtative image @Maxar)
A Saudi-owned vessel has been attacked in Red Sea, said Reuters, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter. It is not clarified if the attack was from Houthis of Yemen. Earlier, the British maritime agencies said a merchant vessel was hit by a drone. It was supposed to be hit from some 50 nautical miles off Yemen’s Hodeidah, a Red Sea port just outside south of Saleef.
Reportedly, a Panama-flagged oil tanker was also hit. The tanker was hit by two projectiles, said British maritime agencies. No casualties were reported.
Earlier in March this year, Houthis warned that Riyadh would be a “target” if it provide aid and support to the US-British aggression against their country.
Also Read: Who Are Houthis, The Fierce Supporters Of Hamas
In an interview with the Houthi-run Al-Masirah television channel, ahead of the ninth anniversary of the Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen, a member of the militant group’s Supreme Political Council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, said the United States is pressuring many countries to join their coalition against Yemen.
US formed Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) in last December 2023. It was aimed at creating an international front that would both deter the Houthis from further attacks and reassure the shipping companies. Over 20 countries were part of the operation.
Al Houthi said that “We renew our warnings that any country that would act against our country would make its interests a legitimate target for us…Americans must stop targeting our country and attacking our country”. Saudi Arabia “would be a target for us if they provided aid and support to the US-British aggression against our country”, he further added, as quoted by Al Monitor.
Also Read: Did US Navy Accept Defeat To The Houthis?
The Houthis are among the first responders to Israel’s barbaric war in Gaza. Pledging solidarity with Hamas – the resistance movement of the besieged enclave – the Yemeni group started to attack commercial vessels passing through Red Sea that have links with Israel. The Bab al-Mandab Strait that connects Gulf of Aden with Red Sea is one of the busiest trade routes. Since the beginning, Houthis held on their stance; they will stop when Israel stop bombing Gaza.
