In a statement released on X Wednesday morning, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group struck the Saudi tanker Wafa in the northern Red Sea off Yanbu with “a number of ballistic missiles.” The Houthis claimed the attack was part of their self-declared maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, saying Wafa was the eighth Saudi oil tanker targeted since the campaign began in late July. The group also claimed that 29 Saudi tankers have been forced to turn back in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, although those figures could not be independently verified. “Their operations will continue and escalate in targeting Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea,” the statement said, adding that the campaign is intended to close remaining access points after traffic was diverted away from the Bab el-Mandeb. Separately, UKMTO on Wednesday reported an incident involving a tanker approximately 95 nautical miles southeast of Aden.