The Iran-backed Houthis struck two Saudi oil tankers on Thursday that they accused of violating a naval blockade imposed by the group, signaling a potential new front in the US-Iran conflict, as the US military struck Iran for the 12th successive night.

The attack came after the Houthis said on Monday that they were imposing a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, a move that could significantly widen the war and strain the US military.

Yemen’s Houthis said they targeted two Saudi oil tankers, identified as Encelia and Laylia, saying the vessels violated their naval blockade.

The Encelia was targeted while sailing in the Red Sea, causing a fire at the front of the ship, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, citing an official source at the General Transport Authority.

The source said all crew members were safe and that authorities had taken necessary measures to secure the vessel and crew and protect the marine environment.

Disputes over management of the Strait of Hormuz led to the collapse of a preliminary deal reached in April between Washington and Tehran, reigniting the simmering five-month conflict. A Houthi maritime blockade may create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies alongside Iran’s near-closure of the Hormuz.

Before the Red Sea flare-up, Trump threatened Wednesday to bomb one Iranian bridge or power plant in return for each attack on shipping in Hormuz, reiterating his longstanding threat to go after Iranian infrastructure. Trump said on Tuesday he would “take care of” the Houthis if they followed through on their own blockade threat against Saudi ports.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said Thursday they’d stopped three oil tankers from transiting Hormuz after the Houthi attack on tankers.

Two Chinese very large crude carriers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil were heading on Thursday toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the entry point to the Red Sea, shipping data showed.

Millions of barrels per day of Saudi oil have been heading to the kingdom’s Red Sea port of Yanbu to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. If shipments cannot exit toward the Arabian Sea through the Red Sea’s southern strait, they have only the northern route through the Suez Canal, adding weeks and costs to the journey.

Meanwhile, the US said it completed its latest round of strikes on Iran at the president’s direction late Wednesday night.

“The mission will continue to further degrade Iran’s........

© The Times of Israel