Men salute while standing atop a statue of the American flag during a demonstration by university students to show their support for the Houthi movement amid heightened tensions with Saudi Arabia, on the campus of Sanaa University in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on July 22, 2026.
Mohammed Huwais Afp | Getty Images
The Tehran-backed Houthis say they have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening to open a new war in the Middle East conflict as the US ends its 12th consecutive night in Iran.
Yemen’s Houthis said on Wednesday they had targeted two Saudi Arabian oil tankers, Encelia and Layla, with drones and missiles for allegedly violating their maritime blockade.
The attack, if confirmed, would be the first since the militant group announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) confirmed that the Encelia was targeted while passing through the Red Sea, leading to the ship’s burning. Citing an unnamed Transport General Authority official, the agency reported that all workers were safe and described the attack as a violation of international law.
SPA did not provide an update on the Layla tanker.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Wednesday that an “unidentified projectile” hit a Saudi Arabian oil tanker about 130 kilometers from the coastal city of Al Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia. UKMTO said the incident led to a fire and reported no injuries.
The US Central Command said overnight that American forces completed another round of strikes against Iran, attacking military targets including naval capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, and air defense equipment.
“These strikes further reduce Iran’s ability to attack civilian and commercial vessels,” Centcom said in a statement.
It added that the US military had targeted dozens of Iranian military sites in the world this month while resuming a maritime blockade against the Islamic Republic. As of Thursday evening, Centcom said it had diverted nine commercial vessels and disabled one to prevent the vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Thursday that Iran is not ready to make a deal – “at least not one that they are willing to live with.”
“They’re going to keep paying the price and every night the price goes up and up and up,” Rubio said.
Asked about his response to the Houthis’ attack on two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, Rubio said: “I hope they stop. They really shouldn’t be doing that. This is what the Iranians are doing.”
Oil prices last month.
Oil prices were higher on Thursday morning, extending recent gains, as the US and Iran deepened hostilities.
Brent crude futures for September delivery were last seen trading up 3.6% at $97.46 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate futures for September delivery, meanwhile, stood 2.7% higher at $89.14.
Trump threatens Iran’s bridges and power plants
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said in its latest update that at least seven ships had diverted to avoid passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait due to the Houthis’ blockade of Saudi Arabian ports. Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a bottleneck for commercial shipping connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to world markets.
The US has also increased the number of Iranian targets outside southern Iran, including western and northwestern Iran, ISW said.
A woman walks past war-themed murals and graffiti along the capital Tehran’s streets and avenues as air defense systems operate at night while daily life continues in the shadow of military tensions between the US and Iran on July 22, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.
Fatemeh Bahrami Anadolu | Getty Images
President Donald Trump had warned the US that it would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran attacked a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a further violation of the interim peace agreement signed by the two sides last month.
“From this point forward, whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran fires at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether with a Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will detonate a bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PANT,” Trump said Wednesday in a Truth Social post.
In response, Iran said it would retaliate for those strikes with attacks on US-linked infrastructure and energy assets in the region.
