Trump says Iran likely behind Saudi Arabia pipeline attack
The president's statement follows Houthi claims of strikes on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, amid escalating regional tensions.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was probably responsible for an attack on a Saudi pipeline, according to a Reuters post on X. The statement came as Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
The Houthis named the tankers Encelia and Layla in a statement carried by the group's SABA News Agency, according to The Hill. The reported attacks on Thursday marked the first known strikes since the group announced a blockade of Saudi ships attempting to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday.
Trump's remarks follow his earlier warning that the United States would hold Iran responsible if the Houthis launched further attacks on ships. In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump said the Houthis had "acted very responsibly" since the U.S. concluded a military campaign against them in May 2025, but that they were "starting up again" by shooting at Saudi ships.
The president threatened "major military punishment" against Iran and the Houthis if such attacks continued, describing the Houthis as a "surrogate and/or proxy of Iran," according to The Hill. The U.S. has been carrying out daily strikes against Iran, with the 12th consecutive night of attacks reported on Wednesday.
Oil prices spiked after the Houthis said they attacked the two ships, with Brent crude rising 5.5 percent to $99.25 per barrel, The Hill reported. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz together accounted for about 28 percent of the world's oil consumption in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The Houthis said their forces "will continue their naval operations" against Saudi Arabia, which has led a coalition against the group during the Yemeni civil war. The blockade followed a strike on Sanaa International Airport that the Houthis blamed on Saudi Arabia; the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed responsibility for that strike.
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- President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was probably responsible for an attack on a Saudi pipeline, according to a Reuters post on X.confirmed
- The statement came as Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.confirmed
- The Houthis named the tankers Encelia and Layla in a statement carried by the group's SABA News Agency, according to The Hill.confirmed
- The reported attacks on Thursday marked the first known strikes since the group announced a blockade of Saudi ships attempting to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday.confirmed
- Trump's remarks follow his earlier warning that the United States would hold Iran responsible if the Houthis launched further attacks on ships.confirmed
- In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump said the Houthis had "acted very responsibly" since the U.S. concluded a military campaign against them in May 2025, but that they were "starting up again" by shooting at Saudi ships.confirmed
- The president threatened "major military punishment" against Iran and the Houthis if such attacks continued, describing the Houthis as a "surrogate and/or proxy of Iran," according to The Hill.confirmed
- The U.S. has been carrying out daily strikes against Iran, with the 12th consecutive night of attacks reported on Wednesday.confirmed
- Oil prices spiked after the Houthis said they attacked the two ships, with Brent crude rising 5.5 percent to $99.25 per barrel, The Hill reported.confirmed
- The Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz together accounted for about 28 percent of the world's oil consumption in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.confirmed
- The Houthis said their forces "will continue their naval operations" against Saudi Arabia, which has led a coalition against the group during the Yemeni civil war.confirmed
- The blockade followed a strike on Sanaa International Airport that the Houthis blamed on Saudi Arabia; the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed responsibility for that strike.confirmed
