Why did the Houthis break their maritime silence to target Saudi oil?

Sherwan Hindreen Ali, Middle East Research Manager at ACLED, said: 

"On 22 July, the Houthis in Yemen struck the Saudi-owned Encelia oil products tanker in the southern Red Sea, claiming the ship violated the “blockade” on Saudi ships and ports announced by the group two days prior. The Houthis claimed they fired missiles and drones at the ship, in addition to a second one – the Layla crude oil tanker – though the latter was not confirmed to have been hit by non-Houthi sources.

“This is the first maritime attack carried out by the group and recorded by ACLED since 29 September 2025, when a Houthi missile successfully struck the Dutch-owned Minervagracht cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden.

“The attack is a significant escalation in the Red Sea crisis and for Houthi-Saudi relations. The Houthis appear committed to upholding their blockade, and Saudi Arabia is likely to respond to the Houthi escalation in the coming days, perhaps even militarily. In spite of the attack, the Houthis have left some room for de-escalation. Two China-bound ships carrying Saudi crude passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait without incident on 23 July, suggesting that at least some ships are exempt from the Houthi blockade."