Yemen’s Houthi militia claimed responsibility Thursday for missile and drone attacks targeting two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, opening a volatile second maritime front alongside the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict in the Persian Gulf. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea stated that the group deployed ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones against the vessels, identified as the Encelia and the Layla, to enforce a newly declared blockade on shipping bound for Saudi ports following disputes over flight operations at Sanaa International Airport.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and Saudi state media confirmed that the Saudi-flagged Encelia caught fire after being hit by a projectile roughly 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, though all crew members were reported safe. The attacks near the Bab el-Mandeb strait coincide with severe shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively threatening both of the Middle East’s primary maritime energy export corridors simultaneously.
The escalation follows warnings from the European Union’s Operation Aspides recommending that Israel-, U.S.-, and Saudi-linked commercial vessels avoid transiting the Red Sea until security conditions stabilize.
