Houthi attack on Saudi tankers drives Brent past $100 per barrel, stresses India's crude routes

📌 Summary:

• Houthis (Iran's allies in Yemen) said they attacked two Saudi Arabia-flagged tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, in the Red Sea on July 23, as part of a blockade on Saudi shipping
• Saudi Arabia's official Saudi Press Agency confirmed a projectile attack on the Encelia, stating the crew is safe and the vessel secured; the attack on the Layla, a three-lakh-tonne Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), remains unconfirmed
• Brent crude briefly topped $100 per barrel; global equities were set to fall on the escalation
• The attacks stress India's crude import routes, since a large share of India's oil transits West Asian sea lanes and chokepoints

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Internal Security / Economy — maritime security of sea lanes of communication, energy security, impact of oil price shocks on India's import bill.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Encelia and Layla are Saudi-flagged tankers; the Layla is a ~3-lakh-tonne VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier)
• Al Masirah is the Houthis' official television channel
• Brent crude crossed the $100/barrel mark on the escalation

🔑 Key Term: VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) — a large oil tanker (typically 2-3 lakh DWT) used for long-haul crude transport.