The Houthis claimed to have attacked two oil tankers. The price of Brent crude surpassed $95.
Photo: Aninka Bongers-Sutherland / Shutterstock.com
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen claimed to have carried out attacks on two Saudi Arabian oil tankers, according to Bloomberg. Oil prices subsequently surged in over-the-counter trading: the price of the benchmark Brent crude briefly exceeded $95 per barrel.
According to the Houthis, they attacked the tankers Encelia and Layla with missiles and drones because the vessels had violated the declared blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. The Houthis have threatened to strike any ships traveling to or from the country’s ports.
According to the agency, this appears to be the first attack on tankers traveling this route since the start of the war between the U.S. and Iran. The route from the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has become particularly important for Saudi oil exports following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, allowing the kingdom to maintain shipments of millions of barrels throughout the Iranian crisis.
This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor
