Red Sea: Houthis attack two crude oil tankers
Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) at two crude oil tankers transiting the Red Sea yesterday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
PHOTO: A container ship passing through the Suez Canal. Getty Images
The Yemen-based militant group attacked MV BLUE LAGOON I, a Panama-flagged and Greek-operated crude oil tanker, and MV AMJAD, a Saudi Arabia-flagged, owned and operated vessel, with two ASBMs and an uncrewed aerial system (UAS), CENTCOM reported.
According to CENTCOM, both vessels carrying crude oil were hit by the missiles.
The MV AMJAD was carrying about 2 million bbls of crude oil, “almost twice the amount onboard the Greek-owned MV DELTA SOUNION, which the Houthis attacked on Aug 21 [21 August],” the US naval wing said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The Yemeni militia’s spokesperson Yahya Sare’e claimed responsibility for the attack on MV BLUE LAGOON I.
Meanwhile, salvage efforts are underway in the Red Sea for the disabled MV DELTA SOUNION, “which is still on fire and threatens the possibility of a major environmental disaster,” CENTCOM said.
Houthis have used UAS and ASBMs to attack commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea. These repeated attacks on commercial vessels have heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and raised safety concerns in the global shipping industry.
By Aparupa Mazumder
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