Officials say that early Saturday morning, Houthi rebels in Yemen fired a ballistic missile at an oil tanker in the Red Sea. The attack damaged the Panama-flagged, Greek-owned ship and was part of the Houthi’s latest attack over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Even though the Houthis didn’t claim the attack right away, they have already said they shot down another MQ-9 Reaper drone from the U.S. military over Yemen and attacked ships on a key sea route that leads to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, which has slowed down trade.
Around 1 a.m., the attack happened. The oil tanker Wind was hit. It had just arrived in Russia and was on its way to China, according to the U.S. military’s Central Command. China and Russia both sell military equipment and oil to Iran, which is the main supporter of the Houthis.
Central Command said on the social platform X that the missile strike “caused flooding” that made the ship lose its ability to move and steer. “The crew of the M/T Wind was able to get the ship moving again, and no one was hurt.” The M/T Wind went back on its way on its own.
Both the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center of the British military and the private security company Ambrey confirmed the attack early Saturday morning. Ambrey said it made the Wind catch fire.
The Houthis may not claim their attacks for hours or even days.
In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis have attacked ships because they want Israel to end the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians. Militants led by Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and holding 250 others hostage. This started the war.
The U.S. says that since November, the Houthis have attacked ships more than 50 times, seized one, and sunk another. Administration for the Seas.
It’s been a few weeks since Houthi attacks because the rebels are being hit by a campaign of airstrikes led by the US in Yemen. Because of the threat, however, not many ships go through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis said that on Thursday, they used a surface-to-air missile to shoot down the Reaper. They said the drone was “carrying out hostile actions” in Yemen’s Marib province, which is still controlled by people who support Yemen’s internationally recognized government that is currently in exile.
Since 2014, when the Houthis took over the north of the country and its capital, Sanaa, the U.S. military has lost at least five drones.
Each Reaper costs about $30 million and can fly up to 50,000 feet. They can stay airborne for up to 24 hours before they need to land.
