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Trump vows to punish Iran for Houthi attacks in Red Sea; oil surges over $100

Reuters · back to the audit

DUBAI, July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump promised 'major military punishment' for Iran and its Houthi allies on Thursday after the Yemeni fighters struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint. Brent crude rose more than 6%, breaking through $100 a barrel for the first time since May. 'If they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves,' Trump wrote on social media. He told news outlet Axios he was considering relaunching major combat operations in Iran and was close to a decision. 'They haven't received enough pain yet,' Axios quoted Trump as saying. Sources in Iran and Yemen told Reuters that Iran had flown Revolutionary Guard commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen days before the Houthis announced their blockade. The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives backed legislation on Thursday directing Trump to halt U.S. military action against Iran.