Yemen's Houthi rebel forces claim to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, the first time that the group has launched a strike in connection with its newly-announced blockade of Saudi seaports. The attack marks the resumption of hostilities after a year of relative peace in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and could have significant ramifications for the global price of energy: Saudi Arabia's western port of Yanbu is a lifeline for crude exports from the transport-constrained Arabian Gulf, and it handles roughly five percent of the world's oil supply.

The vessels in question are the Layla (IMO 9336098) and the Encelia (9240172). Both are Saudi-flagged. A Houthi spokesman alleged that the ships "violated the blockade in the Red Sea," and claimed that they attacked the two vessels with multiple missiles and drones.

Security consultancy Vanguard Tech has confirmed the strike on the Encelia. The firm reports that Encelia was hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing a fire on board. The crew has responded with active firefighting operations, which are still under way.

The reported strike on the Layla remains unconfirmed. Layla's AIS signal has been dark for several days, and her position is unknown. Reporting agency UKMTO has logged a strike on one tanker only.

Israeli outlet i24 has released unconfirmed footage that appears to show a tanker in flames at night; as social media footage is often reused or falsified, its provenance is uncertain.

?????? Yemen's Armed Forces spokesman Yahya Saree says a "qualitative military operation" struck two Saudi-linked oil tankers, "Encelia" and "Layla," in the Red Sea for violating a transit ban, using ballistic and winged missiles and drones. Nearly 10 other ships were forced to… pic.twitter.com/TwQzXDxc7y — Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) July 22, 2026

The strike validates the concerns of foreign-flag operators who have turned their vessels around to avoid Yanbu. Houthi sources claim to have forced 10 vessls to reverse course since the start of the "blockade."

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Spokesman Yahya Saree described the campaign as a "blockade for blockade" strategy, referring to the goal of lifting the U.S. Navy's chokehold on Houthi-allied Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Benchmark Brent crude prices jumped five percent to settle at $95 per barrel after the news of the strikes.

Published, Jul