Yemen's Houthis claim strikes on 2 Saudi oil tankers in Red Sea

Houthi forces in Yemen attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Tuesday, according to initial reports tracked by the Institute for the Study of War, escalating a blockade against Saudi ports,

At least seven vessels have diverted from the Bab Al-Mandab Strait amid the disruption, ship-tracking data showed.

The Iran-aligned Houthis imposed the blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20 and have vowed to maintain it until Saudi Arabia lifts its own restrictions on Yemeni ports and airports.

The Houthis said in a statement posted on Telegram that they "carried out a qualitative military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers that violated the blockade", naming the vessels as the Encelia and the Layla.

The EU Naval Force warned commercial vessels with links to the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia against sailing in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Tuesday.

Despite the threats, commercial traffic continued through the strait, though at reduced levels.

Ship-tracking data indicated 30 commercial vessels transited the Bab Al-Mandab Strait in the roughly 24 hours ending Tuesday afternoon, down from 64 the previous day.

Six commercial vessels altered course away from Saudi ports on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing ship-tracking data.

One oil tanker bound for Yanbu — Saudi Arabia’s main oil export terminal on the Red Sea — turned away from the strait while in the Gulf of Aden. Another tanker, the Xin Long Yang, initially diverted but later reapproached the area.

Houthi officials have previously signaled the deployment of additional missiles and drones near the strait to target civilian shipping.

The group has conducted repeated attacks on Red Sea shipping in recent years, often citing the Israel-Hamas war.

The developments add to broader tensions in the region, including US strikes on Iranian targets and Iranian attacks on US installations. ISW said it would provide further analysis in its July 23 Iran Update.

With inputs from AFP