NCC Masa

The Saudi-flagged tanker NCC Masa, registered under International Maritime Organisation number 9688336, was struck about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al-Shuqaiq on 24 July 2026. The vessel took minor hull damage; the crew were unhurt and it continued to its destination after safety checks, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Built in 2014, the 183-metre chemical and oil products tanker sails under the National Chemical Carriers fleet, whose vessels carry the NCC prefix in their names. The Saudi Press Agency presented the strike as the first vessel hit since the Houthis, the armed group that controls most of northern Yemen and fights with Iranian backing, declared a blockade on Saudi-linked shipping on 20 July using radio warnings alone. The NCC Masa is a distinct vessel from the tankers Encelia and Layla, both struck in the Bab al-Mandab strait two days earlier, on 22 July.

The strike adds a Saudi Red Sea coastal tanker to a widening list of vessels hit since the Houthis extended their campaign beyond the Bab al-Mandab, alongside the parallel Saudi-Houthi exchange of strikes around Hodeidah and Jazan on the same day.