US seeks $70bn war funding as Houthi and Iranian forces disrupt Red Sea shipping
Tensions in the Middle East intensify as Iran-backed rebels claim attacks on Saudi vessels and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards assert control over the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington faces demands for strategic clarity.
The United States government is seeking an additional $70 billion in funding to sustain military operations in Iran, as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the request to a Senate committee. Lawmakers have pressed for detailed explanations regarding the administration’s military strategy, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s attendance at a dignified transfer of remains ceremony in Delaware for four US service members killed in recent conflicts. Three of the soldiers died in an Iranian missile attack on a base in Jordan, while the fourth was killed in a separate incident in northern Iraq.
In response to ongoing hostilities, President Trump has issued stark warnings regarding Iranian civilian infrastructure, stating that the United States would destroy a bridge or power plant each time Tehran attacks shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This rhetoric accompanies continued US strikes against Iranian targets, marking a significant escalation in the conflict as Washington seeks to counter threats to global energy routes and assert military dominance in the region.
Concurrently, maritime security in the Red Sea has deteriorated following claims by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The group announced on Wednesday evening that it had targeted two Saudi oil tankers, identified as the Encelia and the Laylia, alleging that the vessels had violated a naval blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia. The Houthis stated that nearly ten other ships were forced to abandon their routes and turn back in the wake of the attacks.
Saudi state media confirmed that the vessel Encelia, belonging to a Saudi company, was hit while transiting the Red Sea, resulting in a fire at the bow. An official source cited by the Saudi Press Agency confirmed that all crew members on board were safe. The incident follows a declaration by the Houthis on Monday that they were imposing a naval blockade on Saudi ports, a move that has drawn firm warnings from the Saudi-led coalition and threatens to further disrupt global energy supplies.
Simultaneously, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday that it had stopped three oil tankers attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The Guards claimed that one of the tankers exploded and caught fire, prompting the other two to turn back. In a statement, the IRGC Navy emphasised that the Strait is under Iranian control and warned that any ship attempting to pass without coordination with the Islamic Republic would face similar consequences. Iran has reportedly been using a route hugging the Omani coast to bypass mine-laid areas in the strait, aiming to compel vessels to use its waters and pay for safe passage.
