Houthis say they attacked Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, threatening new choke point in Iran war.
Oil prices rose for a fifth day on Thursday as Iran-backed Houthi militants struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia.
Brent crude futures rose $2.42, or 2.6 per cent, to $96.49 by 6.40am GMT, the highest since June 8.
The strikes risk unravelling a four-year ceasefire with the kingdom, potentially reigniting a decades-long war.
A spokesperson for the Yemeni group said it deployed missiles and drones to attack the vessels Encelia and Layla, accusing them of violating its embargo of the Red Sea.
The Houthis announced this week they were imposing a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies alongside Iran’s near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The group control northern Yemen, including territory along the Bab el-Mandeb, a vital maritime trade route that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Arden and the Indian Ocean.
While the Houthis have not formally announced the closure of the waterway, as some had feared might happen, the militia group’s threat to ships using Saudi ports has raised serious concerns over the safety of navigating a channel used by 7 per cent of global maritime traffic.
Five tankers changed course in the Red Sea to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, and three tankers loaded with Saudi oil for China and India made U-turns on Tuesday.
