ByREUTERS

JULY 23, 2026 08:50

Houthi militants backed by Iran announced strikes on a pair of Saudi oil tankers Thursday in support of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, raising the prospect of another critical bottleneck for worldwide oil flows in addition to Iran's effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, the US military carried out fresh strikes on Iran under orders from President Donald Trump on Wednesday, extending American operations to a 12th straight night.

The Yemen-based group, which holds territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the far side of the Arabian Peninsula from Hormuz, declared Monday it would enforce a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, an action some analysts see as an Iranian bid for added leverage.

Even prior to fresh risks for Red Sea traffic, Iran's near-complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz had fueled global inflation, lifted oil prices, and tightened supplies for US drivers during an unpopular conflict that has increased pressure on Trump's Republican allies before November congressional votes.

Five tankers altered paths in the Red Sea to steer clear of Bab el-Mandeb on Wednesday, while three others carrying Saudi crude bound for China and India reversed course on Tuesday.

The Houthis stated their units launched missile and drone attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, naming them the Encelia and the Layla.

Saudi state news agency SPA quoted an official source confirming the Encelia suffered a strike that started a fire at the bow, though the Layla incident stayed unverified.

A maritime security contact reported the Encelia sent a distress signal after a missile hit near Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Jizan late Wednesday. Millions of barrels daily of Saudi oil have shifted to the kingdom's Red Sea terminal at Yanbu to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Should Red Sea shipments fail to clear the southern strait, only the northern Suez Canal route remains, extending travel time and expenses.

The Houthi plan for a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia could greatly expand the conflict and tax US military capacity, according to current and former American officials.

Two Chinese very large crude carriers transporting a total of 4 million barrels of Saudi oil were approaching the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday, per shipping records.

Trump Warns on Infrastructure, Iran Promises Retaliation

Ahead of the Red Sea escalation, Trump pledged Wednesday to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran fires on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's joint military command responded that if Trump followed through on infrastructure threats, Iranian forces would hit regional oil, gas, electricity, and economic sites and block export of even one drop of oil, according to Iranian state media.

Hours afterward, Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported an explosion along a mined path south of the Strait of Hormuz, noting one of three oil tankers caught fire while the other two retreated. The Guards declared the strait under their control and fully closed, cautioning that no tanker could enter or exit without Iranian coordination.

Over 12 consecutive days of strikes since a June ceasefire collapsed, US attacks have spread from southern Iran into western and central zones. Central Command indicated it would keep working to reduce Iran's capacity to threaten maritime traffic.

Iranian media noted US strikes hit a military site in Bushehr twice on Thursday near the nation's sole operating commercial nuclear reactor, marking three attacks there in two days.

State television reported two deaths and 11 injuries from what a Khuzestan provincial official called a US missile strike on the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq.

Despite Washington claims of having crippled Iran militarily, Tehran has shown it still holds missile and drone strength.

Iran struck key water desalination and energy facilities in Kuwait this week and hit US military positions there plus in Bahrain and Jordan.

Iranians and US Troops Killed or Hurt in Fighting

Both sides have reported rising casualties.

An Iranian health ministry official stated 53 civilians died and 592 were wounded since late last month. Since the US and Israel began the war on February 28, thousands have died and millions have fled their homes.

The US military maintains it avoids civilian targets, which could breach the 1949 Geneva Conventions on war conduct. Trump has repeatedly threatened civilian infrastructure, which may be struck if also serving military roles, as long as civilian harm stays proportionate.

The conflict has also killed 18 US service members and wounded over 450 troops. Trump joined a ceremony Wednesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware honoring four US service members slain in Iranian attacks on bases in recent days, three in Jordan and one in Iraq.

"For me it's one of the hardest things to do as a president. But it has to be done," Trump said before departing for the event.

Later, during a speech in Georgia, Trump described the war differently, calling it "a skirmish."