Commercial vessel reports projectile attack off Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast

ISTANBUL

A Liberia-flagged Israeli-owned tanker reported an explosion nearby from an unknown projectile while sailing near Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Sunday.

The crew said they witnessed a splash in close proximity and heard a loud bang.

“UKMTO has received a report of an incident 40NM (46 miles) southwest of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia," the agency said in a statement.

It received the incident report from the vessel's master confirming that all crew members remained safe and that the tanker continued its voyage.

It said authorities are investigating the incident and advised vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

The statement did not identify the attacker, though the area falls within the region where Yemen’s Houthi group has targeted commercial shipping.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 63,500 people have been killed in an Israeli military campaign.

The maritime attacks have disrupted global shipping routes, forcing some vessels to avoid the Red Sea corridor and take longer routes around Africa.

The incident comes after the Houthi group confirmed Saturday that its Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghalib Al-Rahawi, and several ministers were killed in an Israeli strike Thursday on Sanaa.