Yemeni forces foil Houthi boat bomb attack on fuel tanker in Red Sea

ADEN, Yemen — Yemen's naval forces said Friday they intercepted a Houthi attack on a fuel tanker in the Red Sea, foiling a strike carried out with an explosives-laden boat. The announcement came a day after a Houthi military spokesman said the group had targeted a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea on Wednesday, and after the Houthis claimed a strike on a "sensitive target" at Najran airport in southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, signaling a new phase of operations against the kingdom. Yemen's internationally recognized government accused the Houthis on Wednesday of attempting to attack an Indian ship in the Red Sea with a boat bomb. The Iran-aligned group has vowed to continue targeting Saudi vessels in the northern Red Sea, saying it aims to "close all access points and block passages" in the waterway and will intensify such attacks. Several commercial vessels have rerouted their journeys toward the northern Red Sea in response to the mounting threat. The Houthis have launched attacks on commercial shipping using missiles, drones and explosive-laden boats since November 2023, leveraging control of Yemen's coastline to target one of the world's most vital trade and energy corridors.