A Saudi oil tanker was targeted on Wednesday by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in an attack that has been condemned by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, reported the Saudi Press Agency. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said that the terrorist attack in international waters off Hodeidah port failed due to the immediate intervention of the alliance’s fleet. The tanker sustained minimal damage, he added. “This attack is a dangerous threat to the freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb strait, which may result in environmental and economic losses,” he warned. “The continuation of such attempts demonstrates the real threat of these militias and their backers to regional and international security,” Maliki added. Hodeidah port, he said, is still a launchpad for terror attacks. “The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition has and will always implement all security and precautionary measures to maintain safety and security of freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait,” he vowed. “The Joint Forces Command will continue its core role to stabilize and secure Yemen and contribute in protecting and securing regional, international security and economy,” he stressed. Maliki underlined the importance of liberating Hodeidah from the Houthis and putting an end to their use of it as a military base to launch terrorist attacks against maritime routes and international trade.