Houthis Attack Saudi Oil Tankers and Aramco Facilities in Red Sea

The Red Sea has become the newest front in a widening Middle Eastern conflict.

Targeting the ENCELA and LAYLIA

On Thursday, July 21, 2026, the Houthis claimed to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers, the ENCELA and LAYLIA, as they transited the Red Sea. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated the vessels were targeted for violating a naval blockade the group had established on Monday, July 20.

The impact was immediate and visible. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a tanker had been hit by an unidentified projectile and caught fire approximately 70 nautical miles from Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia. A Saudi official confirmed the ENCELA, owned by a Saudi company, suffered a fire at its bow, though all crew members remained safe.

This escalation follows a pattern of radio warnings issued by the Houthis to ships attempting to traverse the region. According to reports from L’actualité, at least nine vessels have performed U-turns in the Red Sea or near the Bab el-Mandeb strait since the blockade threats began.

Aramco Facilities and the Jizan-Yanbu Axis

The aggression extended beyond the open sea to the Saudi coastline. On Saturday, the Houthis claimed missile and drone strikes against Saudi Aramco oil installations in Jizan, near the Yemeni border, and further north in Yanbu. Verified video footage showed black smoke billowing over the Yanbu refinery.

The Saudi defense response was active but fragmented. Greek air forces, which manage a defense system for the kingdom, reported intercepting two missiles and one drone heading toward Yanbu. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition countered by bombing Houthi military positions in the Hodeidah governorate, which they claimed were being used to threaten commercial shipping.

The catalyst for this return to violence was a dispute over Yemeni airspace. Tensions spiked when Iran sent a delegation to Sanaa without seeking Saudi authorization, a departure from a decade-long custom. This prompted Saudi strikes on the capital’s airport, leading the Houthis to launch their first attacks on Saudi territory since 2022.

The ‘Eye for an Eye’ Blockade Strategy

The Houthis are framing their maritime aggression not as random piracy, but as a calculated geopolitical mirror. They claim the blockade is a response to nearly 12 years of what they describe as an unjust and oppressive siege imposed by Saudi Arabia on Yemeni ports and airports.

By locking down the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Houthis are exploiting a critical vulnerability: the Strait of Hormuz is already locked by Iran. Saudi Arabia has been attempting to redirect its oil exports through the Red Sea to bypass the Hormuz closure, only to find that alternative route now under threat by Tehran’s allies in Yemen.

Oil Market Volatility and US Intervention

The simultaneous closure of two of the world’s most vital oil chokepoints has triggered a price surge. For the first time since May, oil prices crossed the $100 per barrel threshold before retreating. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) saw a 3.35% daily increase to $87.05, while Brent crude remained above $95 for the first time in nearly six weeks.

The United States has responded with a sustained campaign of attrition. The US military conducted a 12th night of strikes against Iran to reduce its capacity to threaten civilian sailors.

Metric/Event	Sourced Detail
WTI Price Spike	Up 3.35% to $87.05
International Oil Peak	Topped $100 per barrel
US Strike Duration	12 nights
Shipment Disruptions	9 ships performed U-turns

Despite the military escalation, a diplomatic window remains partially open. Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi has called for dialogue, arguing that no military solution exists.

The immediate future of global energy transit now depends on whether the Houthis maintain their blockade or if the US and Saudi Arabia can secure the Bab el-Mandeb strait. With the Iranian Revolutionary Guard insisting that the Strait of Hormuz will remain totally closed as long as US actions continue, the world’s largest crude exporter is effectively trapped between two hostile shores.