Trump threatens Iran, Houthis after Red Sea tanker strikes
Why it matters: The attacks pushed Brent crude above $100 and deepened risks to shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb.
President Donald Trump threatened Iran and Yemen’s Houthis with “major military punishment” after the Tehran-backed group claimed missile and drone strikes on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. Trump said the United States would hold Iran responsible for any further Houthi attacks on shipping and posted that damages to ships and cargo would be paid from Iranian funds under US control. The latest strikes opened a new front in the war involving the US, Israel and Iran, while adding pressure to global energy supplies. Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel, and some vessels were already avoiding the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a key gateway for oil exports and world trade.