Houthis Claim Responsibility for Red Sea Tanker Attacks
The Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, escalating tensions in the region and raising concerns about a potential new chokepoint in global oil supplies.
The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, said they carried out missile and drone strikes on the Encelia and Layla tankers, which were identified as Saudi-flagged vessels. The attack on the Encelia was confirmed by British maritime risk management group Vanguard, which reported that the tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 70 nautical miles southwest of Saudi Arabia's Al Shuqaiq.
The Houthis' naval blockade on Saudi Arabia has sent shockwaves through the global oil market, with millions of barrels per day of Saudi oil being diverted to the kingdom's Red Sea port of Yanbu. If shipments cannot pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, they will have to take a longer route through the Suez Canal, adding weeks and costs to the journey.
The situation has been further complicated by President Trump's threat to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's joint military command responded by warning that if this threat was carried out, they would target regional oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure.