London, July 23 (SANA)A commercial oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while sailing in the Red Sea offSaudi Arabia‘s coast on Wednesday, theUK Maritime Trade Operations(UKMTO) said.

The incident occurred about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al-Shaqiq, Saudi Arabia, according to a UKMTO statement.

The agency said the projectile sparked a fire aboard the vessel, with the crew working to extinguish the blaze. No casualties or environmental damage have been reported, and an investigation into the incident is underway.

The attack follows renewed threats bythe Houthi militiaagainst commercial shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, including its announcement of what it described as a “maritime navigation ban” on Saudi Arabia.

The move has drawn widespread Arab and international condemnation over concerns that it threatens freedom of navigation and the security of global trade routes.