The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have reportedly hit a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea on Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen reported. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said the “terrorist attack” threatened the Gulf-Europe oil trade in the vital Bab al-Mandeb strait.

According to a report from Deutsche Welle, the Saudi oil tanker sustained damage but was able to continue its journey escorted by a warship affiliated with the alliance. The coalition said the vessel was in international waters, west of the Hodeida port, when it was attacked by the Houthis.

The port of Hodeida is a major entry point to Yemen for relief supplies and other commercial goods.

The White House said in a statement that the “attack coincides with the UN’s High-Level Pledging Event in Geneva, where the Saudi-led Coalition’s contributed $930 million. In contrast, the Iranian regime continues to perpetuate the conflict and provide destabilizing weapons to the Houthis.”

The attack comes days after the Houthis, a group equipped and trained by Iran, launched seven ballistic missiles towards several Saudi cities, including the capital Riyadh, killing an Egyptian man and wounding two others. The latest attack was part of a series of assaults with ballistic missiles towards airports and urban centers in Saudi Arabia.

“The United States is very concerned about the Houthis’ latest attempt to escalate the war in Yemen, this time by attacking a commercial vessel while it transited one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the Bab al-Mandab, in international waters,” the White House stated.

They observed that “In January, the Houthis publicly threatened to attack international commercial maritime traffic in the Red Sea, and launched this attack near the vital port of Hudaydah.” The White House called “on the Houthis to cease further escalation and demonstrate their commitment to a peace process by engaging in constructive dialogue.”

[Photo: PressTV / YouTube]