Houthis claim Red Sea tanker attacks as US strikes Iran for 12th night

In the ancient corridors of maritime trade, where empires have long measured their reach by the freedom of their ships, the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz became once again theaters of consequence on Wednesday night. Yemen's Houthi movement struck two Saudi oil tankers with drones and missiles, while American warplanes completed a twelfth consecutive night of strikes inside Iran — each action a reply to the last, each reply narrowing the space between confrontation and catastrophe. The world's most vital energy arteries now hang in a precarious balance, as the language of diplomacy gives way