According to Reuters, on July 23 local time, the Houla militia in Yemen stated that they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. They claimed that these tankers violated a maritime embargo announced by their organization recently. President Trump threatened on the same day that if such incidents occurred again, he would hold Iran accountable.
Yemen's Houthi militant group issued a statement on the 23rd, stating that in response to the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia against Yemen, and in accordance with their principle of 'blockading in response to blockades', the Houthi militants launched military strikes against two Saudi oil tanks.
The statement indicates that the attacked ships were the “ENCELIA” and “LAYLA”. The Houthi militant group used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones to attack both oil tankers, in violation of a maritime ban issued by the Houthi group in the Red Sea. The attack caused fires on both ships. Additionally, the Houthi group forced about 10 other ships to turn around and return home that day.
Subsequently, Trump wrote on the "Real Soccer" platform: "If they launch another attack, the United States will make Iran bear all the consequences. Houthi forces are agents of Iran, and the United States will impose severe military sanctions on Iran, including Houthi forces themselves."
The temporary ceasefire agreement, which was intended to end the US-Iran conflict, has effectively become invalid for two weeks. The US military continues to carry out air strikes against Iran. In retaliation, Iran has launched attacks against the Arab countries surrounding those countries where US military bases are located.
The Houthi forces controlling northern and western Yemen announced this week that they have imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. Previously, in order to avoid Iranian blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia transferred millions of barrels of crude oil to the Red Sea every day through pipelines.
On the 23rd, the Houthi forces also stated in a statement that they would continue to carry out maritime military operations against Saudi Arabia, and would continue to implement the so-called “counterlockdown with lockdowns” measures. The statement also warned that if Saudi Arabia launched new military actions against Yemen, the Houthi forces would carry out larger-scale attacks against targets within Saudi territory.
Due to the continuous risk of navigation interruptions along two major global energy routes, the price of Brent crude oil skyrocketed on the 23rd, reaching one of the largest daily increases since the start of this war. The increase exceeded 6%, and it was the first time since May that the price exceeded the $100 per barrel mark.
