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A Greek oil tanker has caught fire and is adrift in the Red Sea after what is believed to be the most successful attack on an oil tanker by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis in more than two months.
The Sounion, carrying crude oil from the southern Iraqi port of Basra to an undisclosed location, was attacked about 77 nautical miles west of Yemen’s Hodeidah port, which is controlled by the Houthi rebel group.
The strikes early Wednesday morning were reported The Dubai-based UK Maritime Trade Operations (UK MTO) did not identify the vessel. Greece’s Delta Tankers confirmed that the Sounion, which it manages, had been hit. The “Suezmax”, which can carry about 1 million barrels of oil, is the largest type of ship that can use the Suez Canal to carry cargo.
The UK MTO also reported another attack — at 11:45 a.m. local time — on a vessel 57 nautical miles south of Aden. All three missiles fired at that vessel, which the office did not identify, landed harmlessly in nearby waters.
The Houthi people has targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, forcing many ship owners to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, bypassing the Suez Canal. The canal is a vital route from ports in Asia and the Middle East to Europe.
The group last caused significant damage to a ship in mid-June. The Houthis say they have been acting in support of Palestinians in Gaza since Israel responded to a Hamas offensive on October 7 last year, and they have been targeting ships with links to Israel, Britain and the United States.
UK MTO reported that a security team on the Sounion initially engaged in a small gunfight with armed men in two small boats just before 6am local time on Wednesday. The ship was hit by two shells two hours later and was attacked again just before 9am local time.
“There is a fire on board and the vessel has lost engine power,” UK MTO reported. “The vessel is drifting and is out of control.”
Martin Kelly, senior Middle East analyst at maritime risk consultancy EOS Risk Group, said the apparent method of attack reflected how British and US strikes on the Houthis had severely degraded their capabilities, particularly by hitting radar facilities. That has forced them to use manned surveillance vessels, such as those reported by the British MTO.
However, he said Yemeni militants were still eager for revenge. an attack by Israeli jets on July 20 in Hodeidah. “The Houthis are still there,” Kelly said.
Hundreds of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels since November have killed four sailors, sunk two vessels and caused several serious fires on board.
Wednesday’s incident was the first successful attack on a commercial vessel off Yemen’s coast since the Houthis’ attack on June 12. attack the tutora dry cargo ship, killing one sailor and causing the ship to sink.
Houthi rebels did not immediately claim responsibility for Wednesday’s attack, although it occurred in waters where they regularly operate.
Delta Tankers said the vessel was involved in a “hostile incident” in the Red Sea but described the damage as “minor”.
“The ship is currently drifting while the crew assesses the damage before continuing its journey,” the statement said.
