The Liberia-flagged tanker Scarlet Ray was targeted by a missile off Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.
The vessel, managed by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping and linked to Israeli interests, had escaped damage, but the incident represented the first confirmed Houthi attack in the Upper Red Sea, Dryad Global said on Wednesday.
Until now, this northern section of the Red Sea was considered a lower-risk transit route compared to Bab el-Mandeb and the southern corridor.