Houthis Attack Saudi Oil Tankers in the Red Sea

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, the group said on Wednesday.

The group said the attacks formed part of what it described as a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia. Analysts warn that any sustained disruption to shipping through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait could create another major bottleneck for global oil supplies alongside continuing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis identified the vessels as the Encelia and the Layla. Saudi state news agency SPA confirmed that the Encelia was hit, triggering a fire in the forward section of the tanker. The reported attack on the Layla has not been independently confirmed.

A maritime security source said the Encelia transmitted a distress signal after being struck by a missile near the Saudi port of Jizan. On Wednesday, five tankers altered course to avoid the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The previous day, three vessels carrying Saudi crude to China and India also turned back.

Meanwhile, the US military completed its twelfth consecutive night of strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by announcing attacks on US missile systems, weapons depots and fuel facilities in Jordan, as well as military targets in Kuwait.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards also claimed they had taken control of the Strait of Hormuz and declared it "completely closed". The claim has not been independently verified.

US Central Command said it would continue operations aimed at reducing Iran's ability to threaten maritime shipping. Iranian media later reported further US strikes, including attacks near the city of Bushehr and at the Shalamcha border crossing with Iraq.

(Reuters, bak)