Houthis attack Saudi tankers in Red Sea as US strikes Iran for 12th consecutive day

Hostilities in the Middle East escalated as Yemen's Houthis announced they had attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, resulting in a fire on one of the vessels. This incident occurred as the United States carried out strikes in Iran for the twelfth consecutive night.

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Authorities have secured the vessel and its crew and taken measures to protect the marine environment, describing the attack as a violation of international law.

A Saudi news agency confirmed that one of the targeted vessels, the Encelia, caught fire after an assault. The Saudi Arabian state news agency SPA reported that all crew members were safe and authorities had secured the vessel and its crew. SPA described the attack as a violation of international law but did not identify the perpetrators.

The Houthis stated they attacked both the Encelia and the Layla, claiming the vessels violated a naval blockade they imposed on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. They asserted that ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones were used in the assault. Maritime security sources reported the Encelia transmitted a distress call after being struck by a missile near Jizan, Saudi Arabia, and subsequently caught fire.

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The Houthis said they attacked two tankers, the Encelia and Layla, saying the vessels had violated a naval blockade imposed by the group on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

The British maritime risk-management group Vanguard and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) also reported an incident in the same area, with a tanker struck by an unknown projectile causing a fire. The UKMTO noted no casualties or environmental impact.

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The master of a tanker reported being struck by an unknown projectile that caused a fire onboard, which the crew were fighting.

Pakistan issued a strong condemnation of the Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Islamabad warned that it reserves the right to take necessary self-defense measures if its maritime interests are targeted, highlighting the strategic importance of the Red Sea route for Pakistan's trade and energy supplies.

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Pakistan on Wednesday had condemned the continued threats issued by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, warning that it had the right to take all necessary measures in self-defence if its “maritime interests” were targeted in “any hostile act”.