Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for launching a missile at a tanker, the Scarlet Ray, in the northern Red Sea.

The ballistic missile had made a direct hit on the Israeli oil tanker, the group claimed in a social media post on Monday.

The claim follows a UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) alert on Sunday of a possible ship attack about 40 nautical miles south-west of Yanbu, when a vessel reported a splash from an unknown projectile and a loud bang nearby.

The Houthis reiterated their ban on Israeli or Israeli-affiliated ships transiting the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.

While the frequency of attacks has eased in recent months, the incident underlines that the route remains unsafe, forcing many shipowners to continue favouring longer voyages around Africa rather than the shorter Suez Canal passage.

This shift has led to higher global bunker consumption.