Yemen's Houthis claim to have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, as the United States launched its 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that two people were killed in the US strikes on Wednesday and that an oil tanker caught fire after an explosion on a mined route in the Strait of Hormuz.

Before this latest wave of attacks, US President Donald Trump had threatened to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant if it attacked any ships in the strait. He also threatened to “deal with” the Houthis if they blocked the Red Sea.

If confirmed, the Houthi attack would be the first since the Iran-backed group announced a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis identified the oil tankers as the Encelia and the Layla, although their responsibility in the events has not been confirmed.

The group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, stated that they had attacked the ships with drones and missiles for allegedly violating their naval blockade.

Saree added that the Houthis were committed to continuing their naval operations and continuing to apply the “siege for siege” equation.

The Saudi state news agency (SPA) confirmed early Thursday that the Encelia was hit “while sailing through the Red Sea,” causing a fire on its bow.

Citing an unnamed official source from the General Transport Authority, he described the attack as a violation of international law. He also reported that the entire crew was safe.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Organization (UKMTO) reported that an “unknown projectile” hit a Saudi oil tanker about 130 km from Al Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia at 20:00 GMT. The attack caused a fire, but there were no victims, according to the agency.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard also reported that the oil tanker Encelia had been hit.

The attack on Layla has not been confirmed.

In Iran

On the other hand, the US Central Command (Centcom) announced at 21:30 GMT that it had launched attacks, under Trump's orders, "to further undermine Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the region's waters."

The attacks targeted “Iranian military installations, including maritime infrastructure, missile and drone depots, coastal surveillance posts and air defense systems,” the agency said.

Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain reported shortly afterwards that they responded to air threats. The Iranian army declared that it had attacked US targets in all three countries, according to the AFP agency.

Iranian state media reported the deaths of two people in US strikes in the south of the country, near the border with Iraq.

Separately, Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) stated that the Strait of Hormuz was “completely closed” following an explosion in the canal, Iranian state media reported.

The IRGC claimed to have prevented three oil tankers from passing through the strait.

An oil tanker caught fire and two others turned around after trying to cross a mined route south of the strait, according to Iranian state media.

This after Trump promised that same Wednesday to attack an Iranian bridge or power plant if his forces attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Later, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that they would respond "tit for tat" to any attack against the country.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that he would “deal with the Houthis” if they blocked the Red Sea, as they had threatened to do.

The Houthis offered few details about the "maritime embargo" when they announced it on Monday, but a press spokesman indicated they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait - the southern gateway to the Red Sea - to Saudi vessels.

The Red Sea has become crucially important for oil shipments from Saudi Arabia during the US-Israel conflict with Iran, which has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, the Houthi threat raises the risk of further disruption to international shipping. Hostilities in the region have already caused significant fluctuations in global fuel prices.

To date, at least seven oil tankers have turned around near Yemen since the blockade was imposed. Saree claimed that the Houthis had “forced approximately ten ships to withdraw and return.”

These disturbances in the Red Sea come at a time when peace negotiations between the United States and Iran are virtually at a standstill.

Both countries signed a “memorandum of understanding” in June to halt military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as reach an agreement to end the war within 60 days.

However, three weeks after the signing, Trump declared the ceasefire over following Iranian attacks on ships in Hormuz and subsequent US retaliation.

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