President Trump has threatened to “punish” Iran for the Yemeni Houthis’ recent attacks on tankers in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, saying, “If they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves.”
The U.S. president also said on his TruthSocial platform, “Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls. These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do.”
Trump’s posts follow Houthi attacks on two Saudi tankers earlier in the week, which prompted other vessels to make U-turns and seek alternative routes out of the Middle East. Two Chinese tankers, however, have reportedly traversed the Bab el-Mandeb freely. The Yemeni Houthis, which are affiliated with Iran, declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia over the weekend, saying they would attack any tankers linked to OPEC’s top producer. Saudi Arabia has been using its Yanbu port on the Red Sea as an alternative oil export route to the Strait of Hormuz, shipping between 4 and 5 million barrels daily out of Yanbu.
Iran, meanwhile, issued its own warning to the United States and the world. “In a region where we do not sell oil, no one will sell oil. If our security is not ensured, no infrastructure will be safe, and the security of the strait is in the absence of American forces. We have repeatedly said that the situation of the strait will not return to pre-war conditions,” the speaker of the Iranian parliament and chief negotiator with the U.S., Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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