Saudi Arabia's last major oil route comes under Houthi pressure

Saudi Arabia's last major oil route comes under Houthi pressure Submitted by Gaspard Rouffin on Thu, 08/06/2026 - 16:28 Attacks on Saudi ships have had a limited impact so far, but an escalation towards the north of the waterway could increase economic pressure on the kingdom Container ships are seen anchored near the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen's coast, in the Gulf of Aden, on 6 August 2026 (AFP) Off The Houthis said on Wednesday that they had fired ballistic missiles at the NCC Wafaa , a Saudi oil tanker, off the coast of Yanbu, a major Saudi port city in the northern Red Sea. It is the northernmost attack by the Yemeni group since it began a blockade on Saudi Arabia on 22 July, and analysts warn a shift north towards Egypt and the Suez Canal would lead to increasing economic pressure on the Gulf kingdom. Until now, the Houthis had mostly targeted ships off Yemen's coast, in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.