Houthis claim attack on Saudi tankers in Red Sea
Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea as the United States launched its 12th consecutive nighttime attack on Iran.
Iranian state media reported that two people were killed in US strikes on Wednesday and a tanker caught fire in an explosion on a mined route in the Strait of Hormuz.
Before the latest attacks, US President Donald Trump had threatened to destroy a bridge or power plant in Iran if Iran attacked a ship in the strait, and to “deal with” the Houthis if it blocked the Red Sea.
If confirmed, the Houthi attack would be the first since the Iran-backed group declared a “naval embargo” on Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis named the tankers Encelia and Leyla, but neither their responsibility nor the attack on Leyla has been confirmed.
The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said that they targeted the ships with drones and missiles for allegedly violating the naval blockade.
Saree added that the Houthis have promised to continue naval operations and will continue to implement the “siege for siege” equation.
UK Merchant Marine Operation (UKMTO) says Saudi tanker hit by ‘unknown shell’ At 20:00 GMT, approximately 130 km from Al Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia. It was stated that a fire broke out in the attack, but there was no loss of life.
British maritime risk management group Vanguard also reported that the Saudi tanker Encelia was hit.
US Central Command (Centcom) said at 21:30 GMT that it launched the strike at Trump’s direction “to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten civilian sailors and commercial vessels passing through regional waters.”
It said the attacks targeted “Iran’s military targets, including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance areas, and air defense assets.”
Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain said they responded to airborne threats before the Iranian military said it was targeting US assets in all three countries, according to AFP.
Iranian state media reported that two people died in US attacks on the southern part of the country, close to the Iraqi border.
Meanwhile, according to reports in Iranian state media, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) said that the Strait of Hormuz was “completely closed” after the explosion in the canal.
The IRGC said it stopped three oil tankers from passing through the strait.
According to Iranian state media, one tanker caught fire and two other tankers turned back while trying to pass through the mined route south of the strait.
This comes after Trump vowed earlier Wednesday to attack an Iranian bridge or power plant if his forces hit ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later warned of a “tooth for an eye” response to attacks on Iran.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that he would “deal with the Houthis” if they blocked the Red Sea as they said they would.
The Houthis gave few details about the “maritime embargo” when it was announced on Monday, but a media official said they had closed the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, to Saudi ships.
