Houthis Claim Attacks on Two Saudi Oil Tankers Amid Widening US-Iran Conflict

Yemen's Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi-linked oil tankers in the Red Sea. The incidents occurred only days after the Iran-aligned group announced a naval blockade against Saudi shipping, and they come amid sharply escalating military tensions between the United States and Iran. The development carries significant weight for global shipping and oil markets, since the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait have become increasingly important workaround routes for Saudi oil exports as the Strait of Hormuz grows more precarious due to the US-Iran standoff.

According to one shipping source, the tanker Encelia was struck by a missile. Separately, the British maritime security body UKMTO reported that a tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile roughly 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia, causing a fire that the crew was working to extinguish. Whether these two reports refer to the same vessel, and the precise extent of the damage, has not been independently verified. No confirmed information on casualties or injuries is currently available.

The Houthis stated that the targeted vessels had violated the newly imposed blockade against Saudi shipping. The group also claimed to have forced around ten additional ships to turn back, though this figure comes solely from Houthi statements and cannot currently be independently confirmed. The blockade itself had been announced days earlier and had already raised international concern over the safety of the Bab el-Mandeb route, one of the world's busiest shipping corridors linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The attacks occurred as the United States carried out its twelfth consecutive night of strikes on Iranian targets. The US military has said these strikes are degrading Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, reports indicate the US signed a nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, adding further complexity to an already tangled regional picture. What began as a direct confrontation between Washington and Tehran has evolved into a crisis with multiple maritime and regional dimensions.

Iranian officials issued stark warnings against further escalation. Tehran's chief negotiator said that no regional infrastructure would remain safe unless Iran's own security was guaranteed. Parliament speaker Ghalibaf went further, suggesting that no country should be able to export oil if Iran itself could not. Observers view these statements as an attempt to turn the economic pressure of continued US strikes into regional leverage against other oil-exporting states, including Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump also addressed the situation, noting that the Houthis had not yet closed the Bab el-Mandeb strait, while warning of consequences should they do so. This suggests Washington views the Red Sea situation as a distinct potential threat alongside the direct conflict with Iran, even though no immediate US military response to the tanker attacks has been confirmed.

The economic stakes are considerable. As the Strait of Hormuz has grown riskier amid the ongoing tensions, the Red Sea route has gained importance for Saudi oil exports. Reports indicate that tankers carrying Saudi crude had already begun turning back after the Houthis announced their blockade. Should this trend continue, it could deepen disruptions to global oil trade, which is already strained by the uncertainty surrounding Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Iranian sources reported alleged successes in disabling US radar systems in Kuwait and Jordan, claims that have not been independently confirmed. The broader US-Iran conflict continues unabated despite losses on both sides, and the Houthis, aligned with Tehran, have now opened an additional maritime front in the Red Sea. How the situation develops further — including whether Saudi Arabia or international shipping operators respond, and whether the US takes direct military action against Houthi forces — remains uncertain for now.