Houthis Target Saudi Oil Tankers Amid Rising Us-iran Tensions
WHO:
NY Post - Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers, and missile and drone gear into Yemen ahead of the overnight tanker attack in the Red Sea.
Al Jazeera - Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah.
Al Jazeera - Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree.
Al Jazeera - Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority.
BBC News - The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
WHAT:
NY Post - Iran and its Houthi terror proxies have attacked at least 13 ships in the Arabian Peninsula since the cease-fire with the US collapsed earlier this month.
BBC News - The Houthi attacks are the first in the Red Sea since the group announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis stated that their attacks were executed using “a number of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones,” which led to fires on the ships.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis forced “nearly ten ships… to abandon their routes, and turn back,” according to Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis declared the maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia as a response to the Yemeni government bombing the Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport to stop an Iranian plane from landing.
Al Jazeera - The Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint is just 29km (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, limiting traffic to two channels for inbound and outbound vessels using the Suez Canal.
Al Jazeera - In 2024, about 4.1 billion barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products passed through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, accounting for about 5 percent of the global total.
Al Jazeera - The closure of Bab al-Mandeb could block 25 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply, as the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since the US-Israel war on Iran began.
Al Jazeera - The Saudi Press Agency stated that the attacks on the oil tankers constitute a violation of international laws and conventions that guarantee the safety of commercial vessels and their crews.
Bloomberg Markets - At least two Asian crude oil buyers are in talks with Saudi Aramco to potentially reroute flows around Africa due to the Houthi attacks on tankers in the Red Sea.
Bloomberg Markets - Two China-owned oil tankers loaded with Saudi Arabian crude are continuing their course toward the Red Sea chokepoint of Bab el Mandeb despite the Houthi attacks in the region.
Al Jazeera - Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated, “We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named Encelia and Layla, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces.”
Al Jazeera - The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Encelia had been hit, but all crew members were safe.
Al Jazeera - The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile, causing a fire onboard.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis claimed to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers, named Encelia and Layla.
Al Jazeera - The Encelia was reported to have been hit, but all crew members were safe.
Al Jazeera - The attacks were carried out using ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, leading to fires on the ships.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis forced nearly ten ships to abandon their routes and turn back.
BBC News - The attacks marked the first in the Red Sea since the Houthis announced a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia.
WHERE:
Al Jazeera - The attacks occurred in the Red Sea.
Al Jazeera - The Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
WHEN:
Al Jazeera - The Houthis imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20.
Al Jazeera - The attacks on the oil tankers were claimed on a Wednesday, with no specific date provided.
WHY:
BBC News - The Iran-backed group in Yemen has threatened to target Saudi vessels in a vital shipping route, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict and more global economic damage.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis declared their maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia as a response to what they describe as an "unjust and oppressive siege" imposed by Saudi leaders for nearly 12 years.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis accused Saudi leaders of imposing “an unjust and oppressive siege” for nearly 12 years, claiming they are “plundering our resources and imposing a comprehensive blockade on our ports and airports by land, sea, and air.”
Al Jazeera - The Houthis stated the attacks were in response to a blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, which they described as "an unjust and oppressive siege" lasting nearly 12 years.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis declared the maritime embargo based on the principle of "an eye for an eye."
HOW:
Al Jazeera - The Houthis stated that their attacks were executed using a combination of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, which led to fires on the ships.
Al Jazeera - The Houthis executed the attacks using “a number of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones,” which led to fires on the ships.
Al Jazeera - The attacks were executed using a combination of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones.
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 23:16 UTC)
Iran has reportedly flown commanders and military advisers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into Yemen, along with missile and drone equipment, just ahead of a recent tanker attack in the Red Sea. Since the cease-fire with the US fell apart earlier this month, Iran and its Houthi proxies have launched attacks on at least thirteen ships in the Arabian Peninsula. The Iran-backed group has also threatened to target Saudi vessels in this crucial shipping route, raising concerns about a potential escalation of conflict in the Middle East and the risk of further global economic repercussions.
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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 18:20 UTC)
The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea mark the first incidents since the group announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, with their military spokesperson stating that nearly ten ships were forced to abandon their routes. The Houthis executed these attacks using a combination of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, which resulted in fires on the vessels. With the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint being just 29 kilometers wide, the closure of this critical route could potentially block 25 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply, especially as the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since the US-Israel war on Iran began.
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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 15:36 UTC)
The Saudi Press Agency has condemned recent attacks on oil tankers as a violation of international laws that protect commercial vessels and their crews. In response to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, at least two Asian crude oil buyers are negotiating with Saudi Aramco to potentially reroute their oil flows around Africa, while two China-owned oil tankers are still heading toward the Bab el Mandeb chokepoint. The Houthis have declared their maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, citing nearly 12 years of what they call an "unjust and oppressive siege," and have carried out their attacks using a mix of ballistic and cruise missiles along with drones, resulting in fires on the ships.
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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 13:25 UTC)
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that they targeted two Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and Layla, in response to what they describe as a blockade imposed by Saudi leaders. The Saudi Press Agency confirmed that the Encelia was hit but reported that all crew members are safe, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations noted that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile, resulting in a fire onboard. The Houthis claimed they executed the attacks using a combination of ballistic and cruise missiles, along with drones, which caused the fires on the vessels.
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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 05:53 UTC)
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and Layla, in the Red Sea, marking the first such incident since they announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia. The Encelia was reported to have been hit, but fortunately, all crew members are safe, while the assaults involved ballistic and cruise missiles along with drones, resulting in fires on the ships and forcing nearly ten vessels to abandon their routes. The Houthis stated that these attacks were a response to what they described as an unjust blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, which has lasted nearly 12 years.