CAIRO (AP) 鈥� Yemen鈥檚 Iran-backed said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea early Thursday, as the U.S. military conducted a 12th night of strikes against Iran and diplomatic efforts showed dwindling progress.
The Houthi attack threatened to open a new front in a war that has , sending prices for fuel and other goods surging across the world, with the standoff in the Gulf deepening as the United States and Iran vie for control of vital Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said its strikes were designed to 鈥渇urther degrade Iran鈥檚 ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,鈥� as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of international shipping.
U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. would destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the .
Both sides have increasingly threatened civilian infrastructure. International law generally prohibits such attacks .
Diplomatic efforts show no signs of prog
ress
A day after saying the U.S. was still open to diplomacy, U.S. Secretary of State struck a darker tone Thursday.
鈥淭he price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses,鈥� Rubio told reporters while traveling in the Philippines for . He insisted Iran is 鈥渂egging鈥� for a deal but that 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 see a lot of utility in responding to their overtures at this point, because, frankly, Iran is clearly not ready to make a deal, at least not when they鈥檙e willing to live by.鈥�
Iran鈥檚 Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran would adopt an 鈥渆ye for an eye鈥� defense doctrine.
鈥淭he president鈥檚 policy is a head for an eye,鈥� Rubio said. 鈥淭hey will pay a very heavy price for the things they鈥檙e doing.鈥�
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni was in Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, seeking to revive diplomacy. But it was unclear what new arrangement might be reached to end the war.
Pakistan鈥檚 Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar urged the U.S and Iran 鈥渢o exercise restraint, uphold their commitments, and pursue peaceful engagement.鈥� Pakistan鈥檚 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned 鈥渋n the strongest possible terms鈥� the attacks on the Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, a statement from his office said.
An Arab diplomat said Gulf states are increasingly pessimistic about finding an off-ramp. The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said regional countries, in addition to Pakistan and Turkey, continue to push for de-escalation but that chances of improvement appear bleak.
Iran-backed Houthis say they attacked oil tankers
The Houthis’ SABA news agency said the rebels had struck two tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, in the Red Sea, leading to fires on both. That would be their first reported attack on a vessel since they of Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier this week in retaliation for the kingdom鈥檚 blockade on Yemen and a on the international airport in Yemen鈥檚 rebel-held capital, Sanaa.
, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world鈥檚 trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, passes through there, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt鈥檚 Suez Canal.
A senior Houthi official said the blockade on Saudi-linked shipping would remain in effect until a years-old Saudi blockade against the Houthis is lifted. The official gave no details of the attack and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported an attack set the Encelia ablaze overnight in the Red Sea. It said there were no casualties. It did not mention the Layla.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center, UKMTO, said it received a report of a tanker being struck by 鈥渁n unknown projectile鈥� 70 nautical miles (80 miles, 130 kilometers) southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, in the Red Sea. It said no casualties had been reported.
Asked about the tanker attack, Rubio said he hoped the Houthis would 鈥渄e-escalate.鈥�
鈥淚 think the Houthis, frankly, got snookered into this thing by the Iranians. And they were smart to stay out of it, and they should stay out of it and they should stop. We鈥檒l see what happens there. Obviously, it鈥檚 not a positive development,鈥� Rubio said.
Both sides dig in over Strait of Hormuz dispute
Iran and the U.S. have dug in on over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy. The closure of the strait, through which a fifth of the world鈥檚 traded oil and gas passed during peacetime, has with effects far beyond the Middle East.
Iran says it has the right to manage traffic and potentially charge fees in the strait, which was open to all and toll-free before the war. It has attacked ships using a route through the strait that is overseen by U.S. forces and intended to be outside Tehran鈥檚 control.
In response to Iran鈥檚 attacks, the U.S. re-imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and began the widening campaign of strikes across the country. On Tuesday, Trump signaled that U.S. forces could soon target buried deep under a mountain.
Iran鈥檚 parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has led negotiations with the U.S., appeared to brush off Trump鈥檚 threats.
鈥淲e have repeatedly said that the situation of the strait will not return to prewar conditions,鈥� he wrote on social media.
U.S. strikes in Iran overnight
Iranian state media reported that U.S. missiles struck locations overnight near the cities of Ahvaz, Ramshir and Andimeshk in western Iran, and two people were killed in a U.S. missile strike in the town of Shalamcheh on the Iraqi border.
Iran has responded to U.S. attacks by targeting energy infrastructure and providing drinking water in parched neighboring Gulf countries.
Jordanian authorities said the country’s military had intercepted three missiles Thursday morning, with a fourth falling in an empty area, while six drones were intercepted Wednesday night. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry posted on X that sirens had sounded and urged the public to remain calm and head to a safe area.
Overnight, military officials in Kuwait said on social media that their air defenses were 鈥渃onfronting attacks by hostile drones.鈥�
___
Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Collin Binkley and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan; Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Michelle L. Price and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
