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The Transport General Authority official told the Saudi Press Agency that the NCC MASA suffered slight damage to its hull in the attack while sailing in the Red Sea. Following immediate checks that verified the safety of the ship and all crew members aboard, the vessel resumed travel toward its intended destination without delay. The authority has released no further details on the precise nature of the targeting or any party responsible for the incident.
This event follows the targeting of another Saudi-owned ship, the ENCELIA, earlier in the week that resulted in a fire breaking out at the bow, according to reports compiled by Al Arabiya English with input from Reuters. All crew on the ENCELIA were confirmed safe after that strike, which occurred in the same high-risk waters. Saudi maritime monitors have increased scrutiny of vessels traversing the area as similar events accumulate.
Yemen’s Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi shipping earlier this week and claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, the New York Times reported from regional updates. The group has linked its maritime actions to ongoing regional conflicts involving Saudi Arabia. No entity has publicly asserted involvement in the specific strike on the NCC MASA.
US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that Washington would hold Iran responsible for any additional Houthi attacks, characterizing the militants as a surrogate or proxy of Tehran. “If they do this again, the US will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The statement came amid broader US concerns over proxy dynamics in the conflict.
The head of the International Maritime Organization condemned the latest Red Sea attacks for threatening seafarers, international shipping, global supply chains and the marine environment, according to a Reuters dispatch. War-risk insurance costs for southern Red Sea voyages have doubled for some companies in the wake of the incidents, the news service added from industry sources. Oil prices have risen above 100 dollars a barrel as threats to energy transport persist.
An official source at the Transport General Authority described the repeated targeting of commercial vessels as a violation of international laws and norms that protect the safety and security of shipping and crews. The authority stressed the importance of uninterrupted maritime operations through the Red Sea corridor. Saudi Arabia has coordinated with international partners on responses to the pattern of assaults.
