Saudi Arabia says it destroyed boat with bombs in port near Red Sea
- The incident comes after a series of attacks on shipping in the wider Middle East region amid a shadow war between Iran and Israel
- The kingdom has also had a years-long war against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have in the past used bomb-laden drones and explosive-packed boats in assaults
Saudi forces on Tuesday destroyed an explosive-laden boat off the coast of the Red Sea port of Yanbu, the defence ministry said.
“A bomb-laden unmanned [vessel] was intercepted and destroyed this morning,” the ministry said in a statement, published by the official Saudi Press Agency. “Naval units were able to detect and monitor the activity of the bomb-laden [boat] in the Red Sea waters off the shores of Yanbu.”
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the incident, which the ministry said was under investigation.
Details remained scarce, but the incident comes after a series of attacks on shipping in the wider Middle East region amid a shadow war between Iran and Israel and against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations between Tehran and world powers over Iran’s tattered nuclear deal.
However, the rebels did not immediately claim any assaults on Tuesday and did not respond to a request for comment.