Houthis Claim Missile Strike on Saudi Landing Ship and Four Escorts Off Mocha

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Monday that the group's forces struck a Saudi military landing ship and four escorting boats with several ballistic missiles in the Red Sea off the coast of Mocha, near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Saree claimed the hits were accurate and direct, that the ship caught fire and that several of the escorting boats sank. Saudi authorities issued no immediate confirmation, and the claim remains independently unverified. The Iran-backed group has declared a blockade of Saudi shipping since July 20, framing the campaign as blockade for blockade, and Bab al-Mandeb has carried added traffic since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed in late February.