Two Saudi Oil Tankers Targeted as Houthi Blockade Disrupts Red Sea Shipping

At least two tankers have turned away from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after Yemen’s Houthis said they have struck two Saudi tankers in the chokepoint in the latest Middle East war escalation, saying they had violated the naval blockade that the Yemeni forces declared earlier this week. According to reports, one of the tankers was loaded with Saudi crude for India and the other was carrying oil to China. “While it’s only two vessels so far, it suggests owners and operators are taking the threat seriously,” Matthew Wright, principal…