Houthis hit Saudi tankers, opening new front in Iran war
Why it matters: The attacks added pressure to oil routes through Bab el-Mandeb as Hormuz traffic was already near a halt.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and later claimed a missile attack on the Saudi city of Jizan, widening the regional fallout from the Iran-US conflict. Saudi state media confirmed that one tanker caught fire after an assault while sailing in the Red Sea. The Houthis also said they were imposing a naval blockade on shipments from Saudi Arabia through Bab el-Mandeb. The flare-up came after Saudi strikes on Houthi targets in Hodeida and on Kamaran Island, according to a Yemeni security source cited by AFP. The new threat to Red Sea shipping deepens pressure on global trade after severe disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.