US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that Iran will be held "responsible" for any Houthi attacks on shipping, describing the Yemen-based militia as a proxy of Tehran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the Houthis are a "Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran" and that any repeat of the attacks would draw "major military punishment" against both Tehran and the Houthis. He added he was "very disappointed" with the group, noting it had otherwise acted "professionally and smart" in the preceding year.
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The warning came after the Houthis claimed strikes on two Saudi-linked oil tankers in the Red Sea overnight, ending what Trump described as a year of the group acting "very responsibly" since large-scale US strikes on Houthi targets in 2025.
Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, said they targeted two Saudi oil tankers with drones and missiles, alleging the vessels had violated a naval blockade the group had declared against Saudi Arabia days earlier, Reuters reported. The tankers were identified as the Encelia and the Layla.
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Saudi Press Agency, citing an unnamed official at the General Transport Authority, said the Encelia was struck while sailing in the Red Sea, causing a fire on the vessel's bow, AP reported. All crew members were reported safe. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the status of the second vessel, the Layla.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) separately reported that a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile around 70 nautical miles southwest of the Saudi town of Al Shuqaiq, causing a fire but no immediate casualties. The incident is under investigation, UKMTO said.
The tanker strikes come as the Houthis' blockade threat has already prompted several vessels carrying Saudi crude to reroute away from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait toward the Suez Canal, according to Reuters. The strait is a key global shipping chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis had first launched sustained attacks on Red Sea shipping in November 2023, citing solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war, disrupting a route that carries a significant share of global trade. The US carried out a major military campaign against the group last year following those attacks.
The latest warning to Iran comes amid the broader US-Iran conflict, with US forces having conducted repeated rounds of strikes on Iranian military targets in recent weeks, and Tehran vowing retaliation over the continuing hostilities.
