CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthi forces have struck a fourth Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea this week, the group claimed Thursday, escalating their campaign against Saudi shipping and threatening to choke one of the world’s most vital energy trade routes. The attacks come as the broader Iran-US war risks expanding to new fronts across the Middle East.
The Houthis, who are backed by Tehran, said they fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi-flagged crude carrier passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Shipping data confirmed the vessel was hit but remained afloat, with no casualties reported among the crew. Saudi authorities condemned the strike as “a dangerous escalation” and said naval forces were escorting commercial vessels through the area.
The attacks have dealt a fresh blow to global energy markets already rattled by the Iran-US conflict and the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The Red Sea route is a critical artery for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments from the Gulf to Europe and North America, and insurers have begun raising premiums for vessels transiting the region.
“The Houthis are opening a second maritime front,” said a Red Sea security analyst. “They have already proven they can strike Saudi tankers with precision. If this continues, shipping companies will divert around the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to transit times and driving up costs.”
The Houthi campaign marks a dramatic departure from the relative calm that had prevailed in Yemen since a UN-brokered truce in 2022. The group had largely refrained from attacking Saudi shipping during the truce period, even as the war in Yemen remained unresolved. But the eruption of the Iran-US conflict in early 2026 appears to have emboldened the group to resume its maritime campaign.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the strikes were intended to pressure the Saudi government to sever its military cooperation with Washington. “We will continue to target Saudi economic interests until the aggression against our Iranian brothers stops,” he said in a televised statement.
Saudi Arabia has intercepted several Houthi drones and missiles in recent days, including one that came close to a major desalination plant on the Red Sea coast. The kingdom’s air defenses have been placed on high alert, and the Saudi navy has stepped up patrols along the western coastline.
The United States has deployed additional naval assets to the Red Sea, including a destroyer equipped with advanced missile defense systems, to protect commercial shipping. U.S. Central Command said it was coordinating with Saudi and Egyptian authorities to maintain freedom of navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
The attacks have also raised alarms in Egypt, which depends on the Suez Canal for billions of dollars in annual transit fees. Any sustained disruption to Red Sea shipping could force vessels to reroute around Africa, slashing canal revenues and straining Egypt’s struggling economy. Egyptian officials have reportedly pressed Washington and Riyadh for a de-escalation.
International maritime organizations have warned that the targeting of civilian oil tankers constitutes a violation of international law and could trigger a humanitarian crisis if fuel supplies to vulnerable countries are disrupted. East African nations that depend on Red Sea oil imports are particularly exposed, analysts said.
Diplomatic efforts to contain the crisis have so far yielded limited results. UN Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg has shuttled between Sanaa and Riyadh, urging the Houthis to halt attacks. But the group has tied any cessation of hostilities to a broader ceasefire between the United States and Iran — a condition that remains elusive as fighting on multiple fronts continues.