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Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, threatening to widen Iran war

Associated Press (via PBS NewsHour) · back to the audit

CAIRO (AP) -- Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday, potentially widening the Iran war as international oil topped $100 a barrel. The Houthis have threatened to shut down another key trade route, with the world economy already reeling from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, spiked more than 6% Thursday, to about $100 a barrel. That is the highest level since May, before the two sides reached a preliminary peace agreement last month that has since collapsed. As the U.S. carried out a 12th night of strikes across Iran, President Donald Trump threatened 'major military punishment' against the Houthis if their attacks on ships continue. The Houthis' SABA news agency said the rebels had struck two tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, in the Red Sea, leading to fires on both. There were no reports of casualties. The Houthi attacks put at risk oil shipments from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port on the Red Sea and present a 'double whammy' on top of the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, said maritime data and analysis firm Lloyd's List Intelligence. Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.