A Saudi-flagged oil tanker caught fire in the Red Sea after being struck by a projectile, with Yemen claiming attacks on two vessels for breaching the maritime blockade they imposed on Saudi Arabia.

As reported earlier by IntelliNews, a fire broke out at the bow of the tanker Encelia after the attack, and all crew members were safe, which was recorded by Yemeni forces.

Authorities secured the vessel and its crew and took measures to protect the marine environment, describing the attack as a violation of international law. SPA did not identify who targeted the vessel.

Yemen's unrecognised government military spokesman Yahya Saree said forces had targeted two Saudi tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, causing fires on both. He said the vessels had violated the blockade decision issued by the group's armed forces, and claimed nearly ten ships had been forced to abandon their routes and turn back.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said the master of a tanker reported being struck by an unknown projectile, causing a fire the crew were fighting. British maritime risk group Vanguard said the Encelia was hit on its starboard side about 70 nautical miles, or 130km, southwest of Al Shuqaiq at 20:00 GMT. A maritime security source said the vessel had transmitted a distress call by VHF radio while operating at the outer port limits of Jizan.

The claimed strike on the Layla, a 2007-built very large crude carrier owned by Bahri, has not been independently confirmed. The vessel last broadcast an AIS position on July 17, west of where the Encelia was struck. SPA gave no details on the second tanker.

Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, called the attack unacceptable and unlawful, saying it was fuelling further escalation, and urged a halt to strikes on shipping. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks in the strongest terms.

US President Donald Trump said Washington would hold Iran responsible for future Houthi attacks. US Central Command said American forces had completed a twelfth consecutive night of strikes on Iran.

The Houthis, who control Sanaa and the north-west of Yemen, imposed the blockade on July 20 after the internationally recognised government bombed Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft landing.

It is the group's first confirmed attack on shipping since the blockade was declared, and the first on commercial vessels since a strike on the Netherlands-flagged Minervagracht in late September 2025. Laden VLCCs cannot transit the Suez Canal and must sail south through the Bab el-Mandeb past Houthi-controlled territory.