Houthis strike tankers in Red Sea; first since Saudi-linked shipping blockade via Bab el-Mandeb
Houthi rebels have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. military retaliation against Iran-linked targets. President Trump has threatened to destroy critical infrastructure in Iran if they continue to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters
The escalation threatens global energy supplies and risks a broader conflict in a vital maritime trade route.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said early Thursday (July 23, 2026) they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, and the U.S. military conducted a 12th night of strikes against Iran as the two countries vie for control of vital shipping lanes.
The Houthi attack in the Red Sea threatened to open a new front in a war that has roiled the global economy, sending prices for fuel and other goods surging across the world. With the standoff in the Gulf deepening, there were no signs of progress in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
U.S. Central Command said its strikes were designed to “further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,” as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of international shipping.
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