Iran-aligned group says ballistic missiles hit a Saudi warship and four accompanying vessels off Mocha, as maritime tensions escalate near a critical global trade chokepoint.
Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed it carried out a missile attack on a Saudi military ship and four escort vessels in the Red Sea, describing the strikes as precise and resulting in the warship catching fire and some of the accompanying boats being sunk or set ablaze.
Houthis Claim Attack on Saudi Vessel Near Bab al-Mandab:
In a statement on Monday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group used several ballistic missiles to target the vessels off the southwestern Yemeni port of Mocha, near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. “The attack was carried out using several ballistic missiles, and the strikes were accurate and direct,” Saree said. He added that the operation “resulted in the Saudi warship catching fire completely; several of the boats escorting it sank, while the others caught fire.”
Saree framed the action as part of an ongoing “blockade for blockade” campaign, stating that Houthi forces were closely monitoring Saudi military movements in Yemen and would continue targeting Saudi concentrations “on land and at sea.” In a separate claim, the group said it had also struck a weapons depot used by Saudi-backed forces at the Sahn al-Jin camp in Marib province with drones, causing a fire.
Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to the claims or confirm any attack. Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which relies on Saudi military and financial support, said the targeted vessel was a commercial ship that had been out of service for more than a year and was believed to have been empty at the time. Sources linked to the government reported that the Houthis had fired missiles in the Bab al-Mandab area, with some accounts mentioning six or more projectiles.
Mocha, a government-controlled port near the southern entrance to the Red Sea, has faced repeated Houthi attacks in recent days and weeks. The port has suspended commercial and maritime operations after sustained missile and drone strikes that damaged infrastructure and caused civilian casualties. The Bab al-Mandab Strait remains one of the world’s most vital shipping corridors, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and carrying a significant share of global trade, including oil and container traffic.
Red Sea Tensions Rise as Houthis Target Saudi-Linked Ships:
The latest claim comes amid a broader escalation. Last month the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, citing what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen-an allegation Riyadh has rejected. Since then the group has claimed multiple attacks on Saudi-linked oil tankers and other vessels, though independent verification of damage has often been limited. Earlier this month a cargo ship was hit in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, resulting in the deaths of several crew members and rescuers, according to the Yemeni government; the Houthis said the vessel was carrying Saudi military equipment.
The Red Sea has become an increasingly contested arena as regional conflicts intensify. Houthi attacks, which the group presents as solidarity with Palestinians and resistance to Saudi and Western involvement in Yemen, have forced some shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa, lengthening journeys and raising costs. Saudi Arabia has long sought to protect its Red Sea export routes, particularly after disruptions elsewhere in the region.
Yemen’s civil war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, has already exacted a heavy humanitarian toll, with millions facing food insecurity and limited access to basic services. A fragile truce that had reduced major fighting for years appears to have frayed, with renewed clashes and cross-border strikes. The Houthis, who control large parts of northern and western Yemen and receive support from Iran, continue to position themselves as a key actor in both the Yemeni conflict and wider regional dynamics.
As of Tuesday, there was no independent confirmation of the scale of damage claimed by the Houthis, and no reported casualties from the alleged Red Sea strike. Maritime monitoring agencies and commercial shipping operators have been watching the area closely. The incident underscores the persistent risks to one of the world’s busiest waterways and the difficulty of containing a conflict that links local power struggles in Yemen to broader geopolitical tensions involving Saudi Arabia, Iran and international shipping interests.