Houthi Strikes on Saudi Tankers Escalate Gulf Tensions
PHOTO CAPTION: A handout picture taken on July 4, 2024 shows tanker Encelia at sea. Shine Samuel Abraham/Handout via REUTERS
Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen said on Thursday they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, raising fears of a second major chokepoint for global oil supplies alongside the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement came two weeks after the collapse of an interim truce meant to end the war. The U.S. military carried out another round of nightly airstrikes on Iran, while Iran fired at neighboring Arab countries that host U.S. bases.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a diplomatic gathering in Southeast Asia that the price Iran pays "will get higher every night" until Tehran is prepared to reach a peace deal it can uphold.
"Iran is begging for a deal every day. The problem with Iran is every time they make a deal, they either break it or they want to change it," Rubio said. "So now they're paying the price for it. And maybe they'll change their mind here over the next few days as they continue to suffer great losses."
The Houthis, who are allied with Iran and control Yemen's Red Sea coast, said this week they were imposing a blockade on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels of oil per day by pipeline to the Red Sea to avoid Iran's blockade of the Gulf.
In their first reported strikes since announcing the blockade, the Houthis said they carried out missile and drone attacks on two Saudi oil tankers, identifying them as the Encelia and the Layla.
A maritime security source said the Encelia transmitted a distress call after being struck by a missile near the Saudi port of Jizan in the Red Sea, just north of Yemen, late on Wednesday. Saudi state news agency SPA said the strike caused a fire at the ship's bow.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the reported attack on the Layla.
If sustained, Houthi attacks on tankers could threaten traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, known as the "Gate of Tears." The waterway connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and is the second most important route for global energy markets after the Strait of Hormuz.
Global oil prices rose sharply on Thursday to their highest level since last month's failed truce. Brent crude futures were up 4.80% at $98.59 a barrel by 0935 GMT.
Iran said it attacked U.S. missile systems, weapons and fuel storage sites in Jordan, as well as U.S. military positions in Kuwait. Iran has also struck water desalination and energy facilities in Kuwait this week.
Jordan's army said it engaged four Iranian missiles and six drones over the previous 24 hours, intercepting all but one missile, which landed in an uninhabited area.
Iranian military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia said Iran would continue retaliating as long as the United States continued attacking Iranian infrastructure and coastal areas, according to Iranian state television.
Since the United States and Israel began the war in February, Iran has shown it can still strike U.S. targets in the region, despite earlier claims by Washington that Iranian military capabilities had been destroyed.
Four people familiar with U.S. intelligence said Iranian strikes on CIA targets earlier in the war led U.S. officials to investigate whether Russia was helping Iran with targeting information or drone technology.
Higher oil prices are also adding to global inflation and putting pressure on President Donald Trump's Republican allies ahead of congressional elections in November.
Since the Houthis announced their Red Sea blockade, several tankers have changed course to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Some are heading north through the Suez Canal, while others may take the longer and more expensive route around Africa to reach Asian customers.
Shipping data showed that two Chinese supertankers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of oil were attempting to leave the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday.
Current and former U.S. officials said the Houthi threat to impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia could significantly widen the war and place additional strain on the U.S. military.
Rubio said Iran had "snookered" the Houthis into the conflict and expressed hope that the situation would de-escalate.
Last month's interim agreement to halt the fighting collapsed over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran is seeking to control shipping by requiring vessels to travel closer to its coastline and eventually pay transit fees.
Iran has fired on ships using an alternative route farther from its coast that was promoted by Washington.
Trump said on Wednesday that the United States would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran attacked a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's joint military command responded by warning that it would target regional oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure and prevent the export of "even a single drop of oil," according to Iranian state media.
Hours later, Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported an explosion along what they described as a mined route in the southern Strait of Hormuz. They said one of three oil tankers caught fire while the other two turned back.
The Guards also said the strait was under their control and that no tanker would be allowed to enter or leave without Iran's consent.
Since the June ceasefire collapsed, U.S. strikes have expanded from southern Iran to western and central parts of the country.
Iranian media reported that the United States attacked a military target in Bushehr twice on Thursday, near Iran's only operating commercial nuclear power reactor.
State television reported that two people were killed and 11 wounded in what a Khuzestan provincial official described as a U.S. missile strike on the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq. The crossing remained open.
(Source: Reuters)
