Houthis Strike Saudi Tanker Near Yanbu as Attacks Spread to the Northern Red Sea

Houthi forces in Yemen claimed to have struck the Saudi-flagged tanker NCC Wafa off Yanbu in the northern Red Sea on August 5, 2026, pushing their maritime attack campaign well beyond the Bab el-Mandeb strait where they have mainly operated.

The Houthi spokesman described it as the eighth tanker targeted since July 22. A second Saudi tanker, Daisy, was struck the same day in the Gulf of Aden. Saudi Arabia has not officially confirmed either attack, and damage to NCC Wafa could not be independently verified by Lloyd's List.

The attack near Yanbu marks a geographic shift. Saudi Arabia had been routing tankers through the northern Red Sea to bypass Houthi operations near the Bab el-Mandeb. NCC Wafa was sailing dark. Its AIS transponder had been off since July 19, and the Houthis appear to have found it anyway.