Houthi rebels strike Saudi tanker Encelia in Red Sea

Early Thursday, a missile hit the Saudi‑flagged oil tanker Encelia about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq, igniting a fire on its starboard side. The strike arrives amid a wave of U.S. Air raids on Iran, a rising Red Sea blockade imposed by Yemen’s Houthi movement and a dip in global oil‑shipping traffic that could tighten already‑strained energy supplies.

Maritime security monitors first logged the incident at 2000 GMT, when the tanker transmitted a VHF distress call reporting the hit and onboard fire. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) recorded a report of an “unknown projectile” striking a vessel in the same sector, confirming the crew were battling flames but noting no casualties or immediate environmental damage.

Media additions

Yemen’s Houthis claim attacks on Red Sea tankers as US launches 12th night of strikes on Iran – Middle East crisis live

Houthi officials claimed responsibility, saying the operation targeted two Saudi tankers—Encelia and its sister vessel Layla—for breaching a naval embargo they announced on Monday. In a statement posted to the group’s social media, spokesperson Yahya Saree said:

"We targeted two Saudi oil tankers, named ENCELA and LAYLIA, for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces. A number of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, caused fires onboard the ships, forcing nearly ten ships to abandon their routes and turn back."

Yahya Saree, Houthi military spokesperson, via The Nightly

The attack marks the first confirmed hit on a Saudi‑owned vessel since the Houthis announced a maritime embargo on the kingdom on Monday. Saudi state news agency SPA reported the fire and said authorities had secured the crew and taken steps to protect the marine environment.

What the various observers say

• Daily Maverick – Citing a British maritime‑risk firm, the outlet confirmed an “unknown projectile” struck Encelia’s starboard side and set the ship ablaze. The report matched Vanguard’s data that the missile hit occurred at the outer limits of Saudi Arabia’s Jizan port area.
• Devdiscourse – Highlighted SPA’s claim of a missile‑induced fire and noted that while Houthis asserted a second strike on Layla, no independent confirmation of damage to that vessel has emerged.
• CBS News – Placed the Red Sea incident in the wider context of a 12th consecutive night of U.S. Strikes against Iranian targets, warning that the growing “threats to oil trade” could ripple through both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
• Times Now – Reported that the Houthis warned of “ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones” and linked the Red Sea attack to a broader preparation near the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, where the EU naval mission urged vessels tied to Israeli, U.S. Or Saudi interests to avoid the waterway.
• The Guardian – Cited the General Transport Authority’s statement that all crew members on Encelia were safe and that steps were taken to protect the marine environment, echoing SPA’s report.

How the strike fits into the wider maritime war

The Red Sea, a key conduit for oil flowing from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu and Jizan terminals to Europe, has become a secondary front in the U.S.–Iran conflict that intensified after late‑February air raids on Iranian facilities. While the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) boasts that its nightly bombings are “degrading Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners,” the Houthis have leveraged the same missile stockpiles supplied by Tehran to threaten commercial traffic.

According to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a U.S.‑led Bahrain outpost, the Houthis had “completed preparations to target commercial shipping near the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait” just days before the Encelia strike. The European Union’s naval mission, meanwhile, warned that merchant ships linked to Israeli, U.S. Or Saudi entities should steer clear of the Red Sea until the threat level eases.

Data from ship‑tracking firm Kpler showed a 34% decline in traffic through the Bab el‑Mandeb on Tuesday, and Windward reported that four Saudi‑cargo tankers turned back before reaching the strait. The same firm noted a “34%” drop, underscoring how quickly operators are rerouting to avoid Houthi‑declared danger zones.

Impact on oil flows and markets

Saudi oil exports via the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea rose to 3.5 million barrels per day in June, a sharp increase from 240,000 barrels per day a year earlier, according to Kpler. The surge reflects Riyadh’s effort to bypass the increasingly contested Strait of Hormuz. Yet the Encelia incident threatens to choke this alternative route, potentially squeezing supply at a time when global markets are already jittery from the U.S.‑Iran escalation.

While no spill or immediate environmental harm has been reported, the incident prompted a rapid response from Saudi maritime authorities and the Saudi‑owned General Transport Authority, which confirmed “all crew members… are safe” and that “necessary measures” were taken to protect the sea.

Timeline of key events

Date	Event
23 July 2026, 2000 GMT	Encelia struck by missile 70 nm SW of Al Shuqaiq; fire breaks out.
23 July 2026	Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree announces attacks on Encelia and Layla, cites “ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones”.
23 July 2026	UKMTO logs report of “unknown projectile” and fire; no casualties reported.
23 July 2026	Saudi SPA confirms fire, crew safe, environmental safeguards deployed.
23 July 2026	CBS News notes 12th night of U.S. Strikes on Iran, warning of deeper oil‑trade disruptions.
22 July 2026	EU naval mission advises vessels linked to Saudi, U.S., or Israeli interests to avoid Red Sea.
22 July 2026	Kpler reports 34% traffic decline through Bab el‑Mandeb after Houthi embargo announcement.

What to watch next

• U.S. And Saudi naval patrols are expected to increase presence around the Red Sea and Bab el‑Mandeb in the coming days; any further Houthi strikes could prompt additional air‑or sea‑based interceptions.
• The next scheduled U.N. Panel on Red Sea security, convened for early August, will assess the “moderate” threat level cited by JMIC and may issue new routing recommendations.
• Oil‑price analysts are monitoring whether the Encelia incident will tighten the price spread between Brent crude and benchmarks that rely on Red Sea‑based shipments.
• Further statements from the Houthis, Saudi ministries and U.S. CENTCOM are likely as both sides calibrate their messaging in the evolving maritime conflict.

As the Red Sea corridor remains a flashpoint, the Encelia strike illustrates how the Houthi‑Iran nexus can influence world energy flows beyond the immediate theater of war. For the shipping industry and energy markets, the next few weeks will reveal whether the corridor can stay open or become another bottleneck in a war‑twisted supply chain.