Houthis claim Red Sea tanker attacks as US launches 12th night of Iran strikes

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Wednesday night as the US carried out its 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, marking an acceleration of tit-for-tat military action that threatens global shipping and energy supplies.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said forces targeted the Saudi-flagged tankers Encelia and Layla with missiles and drones. The Saudi Press Agency confirmed that the Encelia was hit while sailing in the Red Sea, resulting in a fire at the bow of the vessel early Thursday, with all crew members safe. No confirmation has emerged of an attack on the Layla, though the Houthis claimed responsibility for striking it.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that an unknown projectile struck a tanker about 130 kilometers south-west of al-Shuqaiq on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast at 20:00 GMT, causing a fire on board with no casualties. Data from MarineTraffic showed the Encelia slowed and reported "Not Under Command" before coming to a complete stop near the Farasan Islands, roughly 80 kilometers south-west of al-Shuqaiq. The Layla last broadcast its location on Friday about 90 kilometers east of the Farasan Islands, per MarineTraffic.

Sarea said the Houthis would "continue their naval operations against the Saudi enemy" and "persist in enforcing the siege for a siege equation." The movement announced a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia on Monday, claiming it had forced approximately 10 ships to retreat since the blockade took effect. The Houthis said the embargo was retaliation for Saudi blockades of ports and airports in territory they control in north-western Yemen, as well as an air strike on Sanaa airport last week that they attributed to the kingdom.

The US military's Central Command said it launched another wave of strikes on Iran at Trump's direction to further degrade Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported that two people were killed in US strikes on Wednesday night. Jordan and Kuwait intercepted missiles and drones launched by Iran. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the UK that any base used to attack it was a "legitimate target," following reports that US long-range B-1 bombers flown from a British airbase were used in overnight strikes. London has made no comment on the warning.

President Trump posted on Truth Social that the Houthis had "acted very responsibly" since the start of US-Israeli military action against Iran but "now they are starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night." Trump warned that "if they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Houthis "apparently have gotten themselves suckered into this" by Iran and expressed hope they would "de-escalate."

Mediator Oman said it was working to resume talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed because of Iranian attacks, Saudi Arabia has used its east-west oil pipeline to increase exports via the Red Sea in recent months. The Houthi attacks come amid a broader pattern of maritime disruption: since October 2023, when the Gaza war began, the Houthis have attacked merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with missiles, drones, and small boats, saying they were acting in support of the Palestinians. Four ships were sunk and nine crew members were killed in those attacks. Commercial traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait hit a record low as shipping companies stopped using the Suez Canal and rerouted vessels around southern Africa. Although the Houthis paused their attacks in response to a Gaza ceasefire last October, the number of ships moving through the strait has not returned to previous levels.

Oil prices increased sharply following the latest developments, with Brent crude hitting 100 dollars, the highest level since the end of May, per the BBC's reporting.