The Houthi group, linked to Iran, announced on Thursday that it has launched attacks on two Saudi oil tankers as part of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, posing the risk of creating a second choke point for global oil supplies, in addition to Iran’s near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.
The militants, based in Yemen and controlling areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which lies at the opposite end of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz, declared on Monday an intention to impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. This action has been interpreted by some analysts as a tactical move by Iran in its ongoing conflict with the United States.
Even prior to these new threats to maritime traffic in the Red Sea, Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had already contributed to global inflation, driving up oil prices.
At least nine commercial vessels turned back near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait or in the Red Sea following the Houthi rebels’ threat of a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, according to maritime monitoring data.
Fire on Houthi-Hit Vessel
The Houthi forces reported that they executed missile and drone attacks on the two Saudi tankers identified as “Encelia” and “Layla.”
A source from the Saudi official news agency SPA confirmed that the tanker “Encelia” had been hit, resulting in a fire at the bow. The attack on the “Layla” remains unverified.
A maritime security source indicated that the “Encelia” had sent a distress signal, reporting it was struck by a missile near the Saudi port of Jizan in the Red Sea late Wednesday.
Millions of barrels per day of Saudi oil are routed to the kingdom’s Yanbu port located on the Red Sea to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
If shipments cannot transit through the southern Red Sea strait, they are left with only the northern route via the Suez Canal, which adds weeks to the journey and incurs additional costs.
The Houthi group’s threat to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia could significantly escalate the conflict and increase pressure on the U.S. military, current and former American officials told Reuters.
On Thursday morning, two large-capacity Chinese tankers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi oil were heading toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to shipping data.
