The Red Sea has become a hotspot in the escalating US-Iran conflict, as evidenced by yesterday's brazen attack on two Saudi Arabian oil tankers by Yemen's Houthi militia. In a statement claiming responsibility for the strike, the Iranian-aligned group alleged that the vessels had violated a naval blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia and targeted them with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.
A Saudi news agency, SPA, later confirmed that an attack caused a fire on the bow of one of the tankers, identified as the Encelia, which was carrying a crew of 11. Maritime security sources and the British maritime risk-management group Vanguard reported that the tanker had transmitted a distress call after being struck by an unknown projectile approximately 70 nautical miles south-west of Saudi Arabia’s Al Shuqaiq, near Jizan.
The escalation in the Red Sea comes as the US military launches its twelfth consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets. The attacks have expanded to include western and central Iran, hitting military infrastructure such as maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defence assets. Iranian state media reported that two people were killed and 11 wounded in a US missile attack on the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iraq.
The Houthi claims of forcing approximately ten ships to retreat from the Red Sea have been corroborated by ship-tracking data showing five tankers changing course, with two signalling the Suez Canal as their new destination. This instability has already reverberated through global markets, with Brent crude oil prices jumping more than 3% on Wednesday, pushing above $95 a barrel.
The ongoing conflict has also taken a heavy human toll, with an Iranian health ministry official reporting 53 civilian deaths and 592 wounded since late last month. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to Yemen and against all but essential travel to parts of Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border, citing the ongoing conflict and risk of missile and drone attacks.