A Saudi-owned very large crude carrier (VLCC) was struck off Yanbu in the northern Red Sea, extending the Houthi campaign against Saudi shipping to one of the kingdom's most important alternative crude export routes, according to Splash247.
Attack on the Amzan
The 320,926 dwt vessel Amzan was hit around 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu on August 24, Splash247 reported. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said an unknown projectile struck the tanker, causing a fire on the main deck. All crew were reported safe and no pollution was observed.
Bahri, which owns the Saudi-flagged, 2014-built vessel, confirmed the incident and said it was coordinating with the relevant authorities, according to Splash247. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree subsequently claimed the ship had been targeted with a ballistic missile as part of the group's declared blockade of Saudi-linked shipping. The weapon type has not been independently confirmed, the report noted.
Why Yanbu matters
Yanbu, roughly 1,000 km north of the Houthis' main operating areas in Yemen, has become a crucial safety valve for Saudi crude exports since disruption in the Strait of Hormuz intensified, Splash247 reported. Yanbu crude exports had surged to around 3.8 million barrels per day recently as Riyadh diverted barrels away from Hormuz.
Since the Houthis declared their ban on Saudi port traffic on July 20, tanker calls at Yanbu have fallen by more than a third, according to the same report. The strike on the Amzan adds a direct security dimension to that volume decline, because Yanbu is now the most heavily used alternative route for Saudi barrels that would otherwise move through the Strait of Hormuz.
Rerouting via Egypt
Saudi Arabia has responded by rerouting some VLCC cargoes north through the Red Sea, including partial discharge operations at Egypt's Ain Sukhna before ships transit Suez and reload via the Sumed pipeline at Sidi Kerir, Splash247 stated.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel | Amzan, Saudi-flagged, built 2014 |
| Size | 320,926 dwt |
| Incident location | 63 nm west of Yanbu |
| Date | August 24 |
| Reported damage | Fire on main deck from unknown projectile |
| Crew status | All safe |
| Pollution | None observed |
| Yanbu crude exports | Around 3.8 million barrels per day |
| Change in tanker calls since July 20 ban | Down more than a third |
| Distance from Yanbu to Houthi operating areas | Roughly 1,000 km |
Shipper and operator implications
For freight forwarders, tanker operators and port authorities, the attack means continued risk for VLCC loadings at Yanbu and the northern Red Sea corridor. UKMTO alerts are now the key reference point for threat status, given that the projectile type remains unidentified and the Houthi military spokesman has publicly tied the strike to a declared blockade of Saudi-linked shipping.
The fire on the main deck of the Amzan shows that vessels far offshore — 63 nautical miles west of Yanbu — are not immune to projectile strikes. Operators moving Saudi crude from Yanbu should expect continued reliance on the Ain Sukhna partial discharge and Sumed pipeline reload at Sidi Kerir as a workaround, since tanker calls at Yanbu have already dropped by more than a third since the July 20 ban, according to Splash247.
Bahri's confirmation of the incident and its coordination with authorities points to active contingency planning by the vessel owner, but the absence of independent confirmation of the weapon type leaves the threat profile unresolved. For charterers and brokers on the Red Sea crude trades, the rerouting pattern north through Egypt is now an established alternative to direct Yanbu liftings, and any further incidents could push more volume onto that path.
Watch list
- UK Maritime Trade Operations further incident reports and security advisories.
- Yahya Saree statements on the Houthi blockade of Saudi-linked shipping.
- Yanbu tanker call volumes and whether the more-than-a-third decline since July 20 continues.
- Any expansion of Saudi rerouting through Ain Sukhna and Sidi Kerir.
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