3 Saudi vessels struck, 16 turned back as Yemen blockade holds: Source
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The Yemeni Armed Forces have struck three Saudi oil tankers in 48 hours as the Red Sea blockade holds, with 16 vessels denied passage since Monday.
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Backdropped by an LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) tanker, a Yemeni soldier sails in waters north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait in Mokha, Yemen, April 6, 2026 (AP)
The Yemeni Armed Forces have targeted three Saudi oil tankers over the past 48 hours, an exclusive source told Al Mayadeen on Sunday.
The source added that the number of Saudi vessels turned back and barred from passage between last Monday and Sunday has reached 16.
Since Yemen imposed its naval blockade, the source noted, no Saudi oil tanker has crossed the Bab al-Mandab Strait in either direction.
The source confirmed that the ban on Saudi vessels remains in force and that the Yemeni Armed Forces will continue to deny passage to any Saudi vessel.
YAF down Bayraktar reconnaissance drone
Earlier on Sunday, Yemeni air defenses shot down a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci reconnaissance drone belonging to "the Saudi enemy" while it was operating over al-Jawf province, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said, adding that the forces would confront any attempt to breach the country's sovereignty.
The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) have released footage showing the wreckage of a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akıncı drone operated by Saudi forces during hostile operations over al-Jawf Governorate.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 26, 2026
Earlier today, the YAF announced that its air defenses successfully downed the combat… pic.twitter.com/Xmo1On7W5d
The Yemeni Armed Forces had earlier declared an end to the 2022 truce after a Saudi airstrike on Sanaa International Airport, minutes before the arrival of an Iranian civilian aircraft carrying Yemeni patients, wounded individuals, stranded expatriates, and the Yemeni delegation returning from the funeral of the martyred leader, forcing the plane to divert to Hodeidah.
Following large popular marches across Sanaa and other provinces, Sanaa imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia under a "blockade for blockade" equation. Yemeni forces struck ships belonging to Saudi companies in the Red Sea and hit Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu with missiles and drones, following Saudi aggression on the country.
