Houthi said they carried out missile and drone attacks on 2 Saudi oil tankers on July 22, local time, for "violating the blockade order", naming the ships Encelia and Layla.
The Houthi have issued radio warnings to ships. The warning message is that "in case of non-compliance with the decision of the Yemeni armed forces, those ships will become our target, no more".
The UK Maritime Security Monitoring Organization UKMTO said that the captain of a tanker reported being hit by an unidentified object about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, leading to a fire.
Escalation in the Red Sea occurred after the Houthi threat to blockade Saudi Arabian ports, increasing pressure on important shipping routes in the Middle East that are affected by the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
When the Gaza conflict broke out in October 2023, Iranian-backed forces in Yemen attacked transport ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, forcing ships to go very far around Africa.
The latest threats caused some ships to turn around before entering the waters off Yemen, according to data from ship tracking company Kpler, but there were still nearly 30 ships crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait on July 21.
Maritime data analyzed by AFP shows that at least 9 ships turned around and did not cross the strait after the Houthi forces declared a blockade, including 3 ships that received oil at Yanbu port in the Red Sea of Saudi Arabia.
The statement of attack on the Houthi oil tanker was made when the US launched a series of new attacks on Iranian military targets, marking the 12th consecutive night of US attacks on Iran.
The US Central Command reported that the latest attacks began at 9:30 PM GMT on July 22 aimed at Iranian military targets to " further weaken Iran's ability to threaten civilian sailors and commercial ships passing through the area's waters".
On the morning of July 23, local time, the Kuwaiti Army said that the air defense system was intercepting enemy drones, after days of Iran attacking the country.
Jordan announced that it had shot down 4 missiles and 4 drones, while air strike sirens rang in Bahrain.
The Iranian army and the Revolutionary Guard Corps of this country confirmed targeting US assets in all 3 Gulf countries.
US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a counter-warning from Tehran.
Whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran fires at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it's with missiles, rockets, drones, or any other equipment or weapons, the US will bomb and destroy a bridge or power plant" - Mr. Trump wrote on social media.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran will respond commensurately to any attack on the country's infrastructure. "Our defense doctrine is very clear: "Eyes for eyes" - Mr. Araghchi wrote on social network X, warning of strong and decisive responses.
