Houthis claim drone, missile strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi movement said Wednesday it had targeted two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea with a combination of drones and missiles, accusing the vessels of violating a maritime blockade the group declared against Saudi Arabia last week.

The claim marks a further widening of the conflict that began when the United States launched strikes on Iran, with Houthi forces repeatedly threatening shipping they say is linked to the kingdom. Tanker operators have already begun rerouting or reversing course near the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, and oil prices have climbed to a six-week high amid the disruption.

Saudi officials have not confirmed damage to the two vessels, and independent verification of the Houthi claim was not immediately available. Shipping insurers and regional governments are watching the blockade closely, warning that a sustained campaign against tanker traffic could deepen the economic fallout from the broader US-Iran war.