Saudi Arabia: Commercial cargo ship hits sea mine in the southern Red Sea Dec. 25

Event

An unidentified commercial cargo vessel reportedly struck a sea mine in the southern Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia Dec. 25. Saudi authorities claimed that Al-Houthi Shi'a rebels in Yemen planted the mine. The exact position of the incident is unclear. There were no reports of casualties. The incident follows the Dec. 9 intercept and destruction of two waterborne improvised explosive devices (WBIEDs) in the southern Red Sea by Saudi naval forces.

Saudi authorities will likely increase naval and aerial surveillance in the coming days. Localized disruptions to maritime transport are possible.

Context

Saudi authorities have condemned Al-Houthi activities in the Red Sea as a threat to navigation and global trade. The Al-Houthis continue to pose a threat to civilian institutions in southern Saudi Arabia and may launch operations from along the coastline. Al-Houthi forces reportedly attempted to attack oil infrastructure at a port terminal in Jazan on Nov. 11; the incident resulted in a limited fire at the facility after Saudi forces managed to intercept and destroy two WBIEDs used in the attack. The Al-Houthi rebels also continue to launch weaponized drones and missiles targeting the southern Saudi provinces of Jazan, Asir, and Najran. However, the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) intercept and destroy most projectiles before they strike their intended targets.