Escalation in Red Sea Conflict
On Thursday morning, Yemen’s Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels reported carrying out attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. This comes as US forces have been active, continuing their offensive against Iranian military and civilian infrastructure for the twelfth consecutive night.
The ongoing struggle for control over essential shipping routes in the Gulf is intensifying, especially with the Houthis’ involvement creating new potential chokepoints in the Red Sea. Such developments are raising global energy prices as oil hits its highest level in six weeks amidst tightening supply for various other goods.
The US Central Command noted that the recent attacks aimed to “further diminish Iran’s capacity to threaten commercial vessels and civilian sailors navigating these waters,” as the United States works to regain influence over the Strait of Hormuz and restore international shipping flows.
Earlier in the week, President Trump declared that any attack by Iran on vessels in the contested Strait of Hormuz would make them targets for US retaliation. He specified that any missile, drone, or rocket assault would lead the US to strike back at Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants close to Tehran.
In their announcement via SABA news agency, the Houthis indicated that they struck the tankers Enseria and Layla, resulting in fires on both vessels. This marks the first reported naval assault since the group declared a blockade on Saudi-affiliated ships crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which they initiated in retaliation for Saudi actions against Yemen and recent attacks on the airport in Sanaa.
According to BBC reports, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Salih stated that the vessels were targeted using drones and missiles due to their alleged breach of the naval blockade. The Houthis claimed they deployed multiple ballistic and cruise missiles, along with drones, during the attack.
Salih further remarked that the Houthis are committed to continuing their naval operations and will execute what they termed an “encirclement upon encirclement” strategy.
