At least two tankers have turned away from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after Yemen’s Houthis said they have struck two Saudi tankers in the chokepoint, claiming they violated the naval blockade declared earlier this week. One of the tankers was loaded with Saudi crude for India and the other was carrying oil to China.
“We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named Encelia and Layla, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces,” said Houthi forces spokesman Yahya Saree. The Saudi Arabian state news agency SPA later confirmed a strike on one tanker that was on fire.
Following the Houthi declaration of a naval blockade and the continued U.S. strikes on Iranian targets, oil prices have climbed substantially, with Brent crude topping $96 per barrel.
