Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis attacked a U.S. warship and a British oil tanker, the Marlin Luanda, in the Gulf of Aden, causing a fire. Recent rebel militia attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea are reportedly in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza.
The fuel tanker was operated on behalf of trading company Trafigura and the company confirmed that a missile hit the Marlin Luanda as it crossed the Red Sea. According to Portal news agency, the tanker was carrying Russian naphtha, which was purchased below the price cap in line with G7 sanctions.
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A US warship, the destroyer USS Carney, was also attacked while transiting the Gulf of Aden. The incident is believed to be the largest maritime confrontation with Western forces in the Middle East in decades.
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The attack on the USS Carney is the first time the Houthis have directly attacked a US warship since the rebels began their attacks on ships in November last year. The attacks were a serious act of aggression, according to a U.S. official who spoke to the Associated Press news agency.
US Central Command confirmed that the Houthis fired an anti-ship missile at the warship. “On January 26, at approximately 1:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iran-backed Houthi fighters fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen at the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) in the Gulf from “The missile was successfully launched from the USS Carney. No injuries or damage were reported,” the central command said.
The attack on the oil tanker also assumes significance as many of the Houthis' previous attacks were on container ships and oil tankers used the Red Sea as a commuter route. The company said a missile hit the fuel tanker and onboard firefighting equipment was being used to suppress and control a fire in a cargo tank. “We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully,” the company said in a statement.
In response to the attack, the British government said Britain and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately.”
“We are aware of reports that the M/V Marlin Luanda, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, was damaged by an attack in the Gulf of Aden. Current reports indicate there were no injuries and coalition ships were on scene nearby. “We have made clear that any attacks on merchant shipping are completely unacceptable and that the UK and our allies reserve the right to respond appropriately,” a British government official said.
A Houthi military spokesman mentioned that their naval forces had conducted an operation on the oil tanker and identified the ship as “British.” However, they have not yet acknowledged the attack on the USS Carney.
According to US Central Command, the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer involved in American operations to stop the Houthi campaign, and the missile aimed at it were “successfully shot down by the USS Carney.”
The escalated attacks on ships in the Red Sea are seen as aggression by the Iranian-backed rebels. Several such attacks have disrupted global trade amid Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the United States and Britain have launched numerous airstrikes in recent weeks.
Published on:
January 27, 2024
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