Houthi forces in Yemen claimed responsibility on Wednesday for missile and drone strikes against two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening key maritime routes as regional conflict spreads.
The attacks targeted the vessels Encelia and Layla following a declaration from the Yemeni group warning ships against entering Saudi ports.
British maritime security monitor UKMTO confirmed that the captain of a commercial tanker reported a strike by an unknown projectile roughly 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, causing an onboard fire that crew members fought to contain.
The incident marks a serious widening of pressure on crucial Middle Eastern shipping lanes, which have already suffered heavy disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
The news pushed global benchmark Brent crude briefly above 95 dollars per barrel for the first time in nearly six weeks, before prices settled around three percent higher.
The attack occurred alongside a twelfth consecutive night of American strikes against military targets inside Iran, as President Donald Trump issued stern warnings regarding infrastructure attacks.
President Donald Trump stated on social media that any future strikes against merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would prompt the immediate destruction of Iranian power stations or bridges.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi replied that Tehran maintains a clear defence doctrine of responding in kind to any attacks on national infrastructure.
Shipping tracker data indicates that at least nine commercial vessels turned back from the Bab al-Mandab strait following the rebel announcements, including three tankers loaded with crude at the Yanbu terminal on the Saudi West Coast.
Regional air defence networks across Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain also intercepted incoming drones and missiles overnight as Iranian forces targeted American military assets across the Gulf.
