Saudi Arabia reports second ship attacked in Red Sea amid Houthi blockade

A second Saudi vessel sustained minor damage in an attack in the Red Sea on Friday, intensifying the Houthi rebels' campaign against Saudi maritime traffic. The NCC MASA, owned by a Saudi company, suffered hull damage while navigating the Red Sea, according to the General Authority of Transport in Saudi Arabia.

The authority confirmed that the ship continued its journey after inspections verified it remained seaworthy and that the crew was safe. The incident underscores the growing threat to commercial shipping in the vital waterway. Saudi Arabia condemned the repeated assaults as breaches of international law and regulations designed to protect commercial navigation and its crews.

This latest incident follows another attack on a Saudi-linked oil tanker just two days prior. The Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, had previously announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi vessels. They claimed this blockade specifically targets ships linked to Riyadh, asserting it does not extend to closing the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait or affecting other international merchant ships.

The Houthi announcement represents a significant escalation in the Red Sea following a period of relative calm after a UN-brokered truce in 2022. International bodies, including the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization, have warned that these renewed attacks jeopardize freedom of navigation, regional stability, and global trade.

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condemned the repeated attacks as violations of international law and of the rules that protect commercial navigation and its crews.