TEHRAN – The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Monday that they had carried out a ballistic missile strike on the SCARLET RAY, an Israeli oil tanker in the northern Red Sea, in response to the regime’s deadly Thursday attack on a cabinet meeting in Sanaa.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, announced the news in a recorded statement.

He confirmed that the attack resulted in a direct hit on the vessel.

Saree reiterated that Yemen remains committed to supporting the Palestinian people by targeting Israeli maritime routes and vessels headed to the occupied ports.

He affirmed that operations would continue until the genocide against Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an Israeli vessel had encountered an “unidentified object” that fell near it, followed by a loud explosion, about 40 miles southwest of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.

Below is the statement in full issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces:

“In support of the oppressed Palestinian people and their brave fighters, and in response to the crimes of genocide and starvation committed by the Zionist enemy against our brothers in the Gaza Strip, the Yemeni Armed Forces confirm the continued ban on the enemy’s maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting the Israeli oil tanker SCARLET RAY in the northern Red Sea with a ballistic missile, and by the grace of God, the operation directly struck the vessel.

The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm they will continue supporting the Palestinian people by preventing Israeli navigation or any navigation heading to the ports of occupied Palestine in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. They also confirm that further military operations will be executed against Israeli targets in occupied Palestine, and these operations will not cease except with the end of the aggression and the lifting of the siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

The Yemeni leadership in Sanaa has vowed a powerful response to the Israeli occupation, warning that the coming days and weeks would witness success in thwarting the “Zionist occupation’s plans”.

On Monday, a sea of people turned out in the Yemeni capital to participate in the funeral procession of the Sanaa Prime Minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, and his cabinet members, assassinated by the Israeli regime.

The Hebrew Kan public broadcaster reported that the Israeli Shin Bet has implemented “special and unusual” security measures to safeguard senior Israeli officials.

Protection has been significantly tightened around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Minister Israel Katz, and other top officials after the assassination of the Yemeni Premier alongside several ministers, Hebrew reports stated.

The ongoing escalation against Yemen reflects several dynamics, chief among them is the Israeli regime’s search for a symbolic victory to offset its psychological and strategic losses against Gaza’s resistance and Yemen’s growing deterrent power in the region.

Yemen’s stance has once again highlighted that its support for Palestine is neither seasonal nor symbolic. It is a fixed, unwavering commitment.

Every missile that falls on Gaza provokes a direct Yemeni response, emphasizing a clear message: There can be no security for the Israeli occupation regime while children and women in Gaza live without safety.

The Israeli attempt to market its strikes on Yemeni infrastructure as military successes has largely failed. The regime’s deadly attacks on a cabinet of civil servants in Sanaa are in line with Israeli policy of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Even Hebrew media outlets have exposed this narrative, revealing the regime’s growing vulnerability.

Ben Gurion Airport has faced partial shutdowns for months, with major airlines maintaining a boycott imposed by Sanaa.

Yemen’s threats are not mere political posturing. They are backed by proven and evolving capabilities. International corporations no longer take Yemeni warnings lightly. Israeli security think tanks warn of Yemen’s growing list of targets. “Nothing can break Yemen,” they warn. This has been the lesson of recent years, and it remains true today.

Every Israeli attack is met with a stronger response. Every deterrent attempt backfires. The occupying regime now knows Yemen’s operations will not stop unless one condition is met: an end to the siege and genocide against Gaza.

Yemenis are “reorganizing and testing new missile capabilities to launch them toward Israel in the coming days.” Israeli media said on Monday.