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Houthi strikes in Red Sea
Yemen’s Houthis said their forces attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea that had "violated" its blockade of Saudi ports, as the US carried out a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran.
“A fresh front in the Middle East crisis opened this week, bringing a return of soaring global energy markets and stoking fears that the oil price could surge to $120 (£90) a barrel”
The BBC reported that the official Saudi news agency confirmed one tanker was hit late on Wednesday, causing a fire, and that Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group targeted the Saudi-flagged tankers Encelia and Layla with missiles and drones.
The BBC also said the Houthis would "continue their naval operations against the Saudi enemy" and "persist in enforcing the 'siege for a siege' equation".
In parallel, the Guardian quoted UN secretary general António Guterres telling the security council that the Middle East was being pushed to the “edge of the unimaginable” amid mounting fears over the trajectory of the conflict.
Warnings, denials, and quotes
On Thursday, Donald Trump warned the Houthis that if they attacked again, the US would inflict "major military punishment" upon both them and Iran, as the BBC described the warning alongside the US’s continued strikes.
The BBC added that Iranian state media said two people were killed in US strikes on Wednesday night, while Jordan and Kuwait intercepted missiles and drones launched by Iran.
The Guardian framed the wider diplomatic and military backdrop by quoting António Guterres warning, "The situation is getting out of control. It is teetering on the edge of the unimaginable."
In the same Guardian report, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the US strategy on X, saying, "They wanted to punish Iran. Punished themselves with triple-digit oil instead. 10/10 strategy," as oil prices rose above $100 a barrel after the Houthis attacked two Saudi oil tankers.
Bab al-Mandab at stake
The BBC said the blockade and tanker attacks have the potential to widen the war between the US, Israel and Iran and to further disrupt global energy supplies and maritime trade, with the Strait of Hormuz described as effectively closed because of Iranian attacks.
“Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi tanker as US launches more Iran strikes Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi movement has said its forces attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea that had "violated" its blockade of Saudi ports, as the US carried out a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran”
AP reported that the Houthis’ threat to blockade Saudi Arabia could widen the Iran war and put another trade chokepoint at risk, and it said the Houthis had closed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping in retaliation for the kingdom’s blockade on Yemen and an attack on the international airport in Yemen’s rebel-held capital, Sanaa.
AP also quoted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying, “I hope they’ll stop. They shouldn’t really do that.” as it warned that attacks could draw retaliation and reignite Yemen’s war.
AOL.co.uk tied the stakes directly to energy markets, saying Brent crude jumped by more than 13% and breached the $100 a barrel mark on Thursday after Yemen’s Houthi militias took aim at a new target: Saudi oil exports via the Bab al-Mandab strait.
