Saudi Arabia has identified two Bahri VLCCs as being the vessels attacked by Yemen's Houthi movement in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday morning.
Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in a statement that both VLCCs were fully laden at the time, and identified Bahri as the owner.
One of the VLCCs sustained minimal damage, the statement said.
“Fortunately, there were no injuries or oil spill that would have resulted in catastrophic environmental damage," it read.
" Efforts are currently underway to move the damaged ship to the nearest Saudi port.”
Bahri confirmed today that one of its VLCCs was damaged in what it described as an incident in the Red Sea.
"The VLCC suffered minor damage and no human injuries or environmental damage have been reported," the company said in a statement sent to TradeWinds, without elaborating further or identifying the ship.
Saudi Arabia has suspended oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait pending an assessment of the security situation in the area.
“Saudi Arabia is temporarily halting all oil shipments through Bab al-Mandeb Strait immediately until the situation becomes clearer and the maritime transit through Bab al-Mandeb is safe,” the Energy Minister's statement said.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which runs close to the shoreline of Yemen, is the main shipping lane linking the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean.
It considered one of the world's most strategic waterways and is heavily patrolled by United Nations naval forces.
The Houthi movement has in the past threatened and attacked vessels carrying Saudi oil because of the active role the country is playing in Yemen's ongoing civil war.
