Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility on August 5 for ballistic missile strikes on the Saudi oil tanker Wafa near Yanbu and another tanker, Daisy, in the Gulf of Aden. The Yanbu incident was initially reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency as an unknown projectile strike that caused a fire but no casualties or environmental damage. Brent crude rose approximately 1% to around $80 per barrel. The claims represent an escalation in the Houthis’ stated naval blockade of Saudi maritime operations, although independent verification remains limited. Related attacks and reported explosions and fires have prompted some Saudi-linked vessels to alter routes through the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, raising risks for oil shipments through the Bab el-Mandeb and potentially lengthening deliveries around the Cape of Good Hope.