One day after Saudi warplanes bombed the northern Yemen port city of Hodeidah, Houthi rebels from the city have fired a missile at a Saudi oil tanker that was heading northward through the Red Sea.
The Houthis said the missile was retaliation for the bombing. It doesn’t appear to have amounted to much, however, as a Saudi warship arrived at the site and quickly escorted the oil tanker northward, out of the line of fire.
Saudi officials are saying the tanker was in international waters at the time of the attack. This appears intended to make the strike against it seem legally dubious, though since Saudi Arabia is invading Yemen, it’s likely neither here nor there where the tanker was when it came under fire.
The tanker was apparently hit by the missile, though the official statement said it was a “slight but ineffective hit,” and did not impact the ship’s voyage. EU naval forces also confirmed the incident, saying there were no casualties.