Houthis attack two Saudi tankers in Red Sea

A significant escalation in regional maritime conflict occurred on July 23, 2026, when Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening a vital global shipping lane and raising the prospect of a renewed war in Yemen. The attacks, which caused fires on the vessels but no casualties, followed the group's announcement of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia earlier in the week.

The Houthis stated the blockade and subsequent attacks were retaliation for a Saudi airstrike on Sanaa International Airport on July 13 and a longstanding coalition blockade on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Saudi Arabia confirmed one of its vessels, the ENCELIA, was hit and caught fire, while all crew members were reported safe. A Saudi military spokesperson warned that all threats to shipping would be dealt with swiftly and firmly, calling such acts a violation of international law.

This confrontation signals the collapse of a truce that had largely held in Yemen's civil war since 2022. The conflict, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, pits the Iran-aligned group against a Saudi-backed internationally recognized government. The recent violence...