The United States has threatened a major military response against Iran and Yemen’s Houthi rebels after a tanker attack in the Red Sea raised fears of a wider disruption to global energy supplies.
President Donald Trump said Iran would be held responsible for any further attacks by the Houthis, describing the group as a proxy of Tehran. The warning came after the Yemeni fighters struck an oil tanker, forcing crew members to evacuate as the vessel caught fire. The Houthis also claimed responsibility for targeting another tanker.
The attacks triggered a sharp jump in oil prices, with Brent crude rising more than six percent and crossing the $100-a-barrel mark for the first time since May. The latest escalation comes as fighting intensifies in the Middle East, with the collapse of a temporary truce leading to renewed US strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on countries hosting American military bases.
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, have threatened to blockade Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea shipping routes, raising concerns over the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, a key passage connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also warned that pressure on Tehran would increase until Iran agrees to a lasting peace deal.
He said Iran would continue to face mounting losses unless it changes course.
