Houthis claim attack on oil tankers as US launches more strikes on Iran
Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, coinciding with ongoing US military strikes against Iran. The situation marks a significant escalation in regional maritime tensions and the enforcement of a naval blockade.
Why it matters
The disruption of key shipping lanes like the Bab al-Mandab Strait poses a direct threat to global energy security and international trade routes.
The Iranian-backed Houthis say they have closed the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key shipping waterway and the gateway to the Red Sea./SCREENGRAB
Yemen's Houthis say they have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea as the US launched its 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran.
Iranian state media said two people had been killed in the US strikes on Wednesday, and a tanker caught fire in an explosion in a mined route in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahead of the latest round of strikes, US President Donald Trump had threatened to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant if Iran attacked a ship in the strait and to "take care of" the Houthis if they blocked the Red Sea.
If confirmed, the Houthi attack would be the first since the Iran-backed group announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia.
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