Yemen’s Houthi militant group claimed responsibility for ballistic missile strikes on the Saudi oil tanker Wafa near Yanbu and another tanker, Daisy, in the Gulf of Aden on August 5. The attacks represent the latest escalation in the group’s stated full naval blockade of Saudi maritime operations, declared on July 20. Brent crude rose almost immediately by approximately 1% to around $80 per barrel. Spokesman Yahya Saree described the strikes as part of the Houthis’ “siege for a siege” doctrine and retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s broader maritime operations in the region. The group had earlier claimed missile strikes on the Encelia, Layla and NCC Ghazal. None produced confirmed major spills or casualties, although independent verification of Houthi claims has remained limited. UKMTO (UK maritime incident-monitoring agency) has reported explosions and fires near tankers in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, with crews safe in monitored cases. Some Saudi-linked vessels have begun changing course through the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. The Bab el-Mandeb strait (key Red Sea shipping chokepoint) carries millions of barrels of crude and refined petroleum products daily. Rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope can add weeks to deliveries headed to Europe and North America. Continued attacks could increase oil’s geopolitical risk premium, particularly if the Houthis demonstrate a sustained ability to threaten vessels near Yanbu, one of Saudi Arabia’s key oil export terminals on the Red Sea coast.