Liam Conner
Yemen’s Houthi militants hit an oil tanker in the Red Sea with a ballistic missile on Saturday morning, damaging the Greek-owned, Panama-flagged vessel in their latest attack during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.
Although the Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, it came as they claimed to have shot down another US service member. MQ-9 Reaper Drone over Yemen and launched other attacks on shipping, disrupting trade on an important shipping route leading to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
The attack at around 1 a.m. hit the oil tanker Wind, which recently docked in Russia and was destined for China, US Central Command said. Both China and Russia maintain ties with Iran over military equipment and oil, the main benefactor of the Houthis.
The missile attack “caused flooding that resulted in the loss of propulsion and steering,” Central Command said on social platform X. “The M/T Wind crew was able to restore propulsion and steering, and no casualties were reported. T Wind resumed its course on its own.”
The British military’s Maritime Commercial Operations center and private security firm Ambrey similarly acknowledged the attack on Saturday. Ambrey said he caused a fire aboard the Wind.
The Houthis may take hours – or even days – to claim their attacks.
Since the outbreak of Israel’s war with Hamasthe Houthis have attacked or threatened more than 100 commercial or military ships in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis claim that their attacks are a protest against Israel’s war against Hamas and US support for Israel, but US officials point out that many of the ships the group targets have no connection to Israel.
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Houthi attacks have declined in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a US-led campaign of airstrikes in Yemen. The US and the UK, with the support of other countries, held four rounds of joint airstrikes to destroy Houthi capabilities in Yemen. Additionally, the U.S. military regularly carries out self-defense attacks against Houthi missiles and drones when he sees the Houthis preparing for an attack.
However, shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden still remains low due to the threat.
The Houthis claimed they shot down the Reaper on Thursday with a surface-to-air missile. They described the drone as “carrying out hostile actions” in Yemen’s Marib province, which remains under the control of allies of Yemen’s internationally recognized government-in-exile.
Before Thursday, three Reaper drones have crashed since November in or near Yemen, at least two of which were confirmed to have been shot down by the Houthis.
The Reapers, which cost around US$30 million each, can fly at altitudes of up to 15,000 meters and have an autonomy of up to 24 hours before needing to land.
