Escalation: Houthis strike Saudi oil tankers in Red Sea

Footage circulating on social media shows a tanker engulfed in flames after a combined Houthi missile and drone assault.

By World Israel News Staff

The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group launched a missile and drone attack on two Saudi oil tankers transiting the Red Sea late Wednesday, marking a significant escalation in regional tensions as the United States continued its military campaign against Iran for a 12th consecutive night.

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show a massive explosion aboard one of the vessels, with at least one tanker engulfed in flames following the strike.

The attack came amid mounting concerns that Tehran would activate its regional proxy forces to expand the conflict beyond Iran’s borders. Intelligence assessments in recent days had suggested the Houthis could seek to disrupt shipping through the Red Sea, compounding the impact of ongoing instability in the Strait of Hormuz—another vital artery for global energy supplies.

Earlier this week, the Houthis announced they were imposing a blockade on Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the strategic maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The group said the move was retaliation for a recent Saudi airstrike targeting an airport in Yemen.

The Bab el-Mandeb is one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes, with roughly 12 percent of global seaborne oil trade passing through the corridor each year. Any sustained disruption to traffic through the strait could place additional pressure on global energy markets and international shipping.

Late Wednesday, the Houthis followed through on their threat, launching what they described as a combined missile and drone attack against two Saudi oil tankers.

“We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named Encelia and Layla, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a media statement shortly after the incident.

In the early hours of Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) confirmed that the tanker Encelia had been struck while transiting the Red Sea.

The vessel was hit “while sailing in the Red Sea,” the agency said.

“These attacks constitute a violation of international laws and conventions that guarantee the safety of commercial vessels and their crews,” the SPA added, noting that all crew members aboard the Encelia were confirmed safe.

Saudi authorities did not immediately provide an update on the condition of the second vessel, the Layla, or whether it had sustained damage.