Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have claimed an attack on two Saudi oil tankers transiting through the Red Sea, according to a statement from their military spokesperson; the Houthis named the tankers as ENCELA and LAYLIA, accusing them of violating a maritime blockade imposed by the group on Saudi Arabia.

Houthis Use Ballistic Missiles and Drones in Attacks

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attacks were carried out using a number of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, but he added that the attacks led to fires on the ships. The Houthis. Officially known as Ansar Allah. Also claimed to have forced nearly ten ships to abandon their routes and turn back.

Saudi Arabia has not commented on the claims — However, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre said it had received reports that a tanker had been struck. The UKMTO reported that the master of a tanker said the ship was hit by an unknown projectile, causing a fire that the crew is currently fighting.

Yemeni Government Bombed Sanaa Airport, Sparking Blockade

The Houthis imposed the maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20, following some of the worst violence in Yemen in four years — that violence came after the Yemeni government bombed the Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport to stop an Iranian plane from landing. The Houthis said the blockade was based on the principle of “an eye for an eye” and affirmed “the right of our great people to respond to the blockade with a blockade.”

The group. Which seized Sanaa in 2014, accused Saudi leaders of imposing an “unjust and restrictive siege” for nearly 12 years; the Houthis said Saudi Arabia has been plundering Yemeni resources and imposing a full blockade on its ports and airports by land, sea, and air. “The Saudis feel that they can instigate a popular uprising against the Houthis using these economic strangulation methods,” said Hussain al-Bukhaiti, a journalist based in Sanaa.

Saudi Arabia Denies Imposing Siege on Yemen

Riyadh has rejected claims that it was imposing a siege on the Yemeni people. The Houthis’ critics have pointed out that they have rejected a proposal from Jordan to resume flights between Amman and Sanaa. Al-Bukhaiti said the ultimate goal for the Houthis’ naval blockade against Saudi Arabia is to force Riyadh to lift its embargo on the ports and airports controlled by the group.

Amid the disruption in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel war on Iran, Saudi Arabia has been attempting to facilitate oil flow through alternative routes through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. However, that route is now under threat from the Houthis. The Houthis have previously disrupted global commerce by attacking ships around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, raising concerns about the stability of regional trade routes.