Trump Promises to Punish Iran After Houthi Attacked Saudi Tanker in Red Sea

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump threatened to impose massive military punishment on Iran and its Houthi allies. Trump was angry that Yemeni fighters attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, adding to tensions in the Middle East.

Citing Reuters, the tension has raised concerns that the widening of the naval blockade in addition to the Strait of Hormuz has exacerbated the world's oil price spike in one of the sharpest increases during the war.

Brent crude has risen more than 6 percent, breaking through USD100 a barrel for the first time since May 2026.

About two weeks after a temporary ceasefire between Iran and the US collapsed, the US military launched another round of airstrikes against Iran on Thursday night, prompting Iran to retaliate by destroying US military bases in Arab countries.

Iranian state media said a missile hit Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday night, raising the possibility of further attacks in a conflict that has lasted five months and has killed thousands of people and raised concerns about a global economic downturn.

The Houthi group later claimed responsibility for attacking two tankers. It didn't take long, Trump said he would hold Iran accountable for further attacks by the Yemeni fighters.

The Houthis, who control northern and western Yemen, said this week they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, which has diverted millions of barrels of oil per day through pipelines to the Red Sea to avoid Iran's blockade of Gulf oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

"If they do this again, the US will hold Iran accountable, because the Houthis are Iran's puppets and/or proxies, and major military punishment will be imposed on Iran and, of course, on the Houthis themselves," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump told the Axios media that he was considering launching a massive combat operation in Iran. "They haven't suffered enough," Trump said, as quoted by Axios.