U.S. President Donald Trump warned of a strong response over the attacks on ships by Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi rebels, saying he would hold Iran directly responsible. As tensions in the Middle East rise once again, he appeared to ratchet up pressure by casting the Houthis as an Iranian proxy.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on the 23rd (local time), Trump said, "A year ago, the United States attacked the Houthis very strongly as they disrupted commerce and trade by attacking ships," adding, "And during the conflict with Iran, the Houthis have acted very responsibly."
He then noted, "But regrettably, they attacked two Saudi Arabian ships last night," adding, "If they do this again, the United States will hold Iran responsible."
He further said, "We will inflict strong military punishment on both Iran and the Houthi rebels," adding, "I express deep disappointment in the conduct of the Houthi rebels, who until now have acted very professionally and smartly."
Earlier, the Houthi rebels declared a blockade of the Red Sea against Saudi Arabia on the 20th, and on this day claimed to have attacked the Saudi tankers "Ensela" and "Lailia" with missiles and drones, citing violations of the blockade.
Following the Houthi attacks, international oil prices have surged. As of 9:15 a.m. U.S. Eastern time on this day, the September Brent crude futures price on the London ICE Futures Exchange rose 6.4% from the previous session to $100.05 per barrel. It was the first time the Brent crude futures price surpassed $100 per barrel since May 26.
At the same time, the September West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude price on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 3.8% from the previous session to $90.12 per barrel.
