Yemeni Houthi rebels claimed responsibility on Wednesday for attacking two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea. The move threatens to further escalate tensions amid the broader U.S.-Iran conflict that has already spread across the Middle East.
According to statements from the Houthi movement, the group launched missile and drone strikes targeting two Saudi tankers, which they accused of violating a “maritime navigation ban.” The Houthis identified the two vessels as the Encelia and the Layla.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors and coordinates commercial shipping safety in high-risk areas, reported that the captain of one vessel documented an attack by an unidentified projectile approximately 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia.
