Houthis Strike Saudi Oil Tanker Amid Escalating Red Sea Conflict
The Iran-backed Houthi group has escalated its conflict with Saudi Arabia by targeting a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea. The Houthis claim to have hit the vessel near the port of Yanbu, which is a crucial hub for Saudi oil exports.
This latest attack follows weeks of back-and-forth strikes between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. In late July, the Houthis attacked two Saudi tankers, the Encelia and Layla, after declaring a naval blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. The Saudi authorities confirmed that one of the tankers caught fire but said its crew was safe.
The Houthis have been seeking to pressure Saudi energy exports as Iran's disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has forced Riyadh to redirect more oil through its east-west pipeline to Yanbu and onward through the Red Sea. The latest tanker claim raises the prospect of further attacks on the alternative export route that Saudi Arabia has relied on to bypass the crisis in Hormuz.