Latest Houthi strike in Red Sea hits oil tanker: US officials

In the latest attack in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, a ballistic missile struck a Greek-owned and operated oil tanker early Saturday morning, U.S. officials said.

Around 1 a.m. local time, an Iranian-backed group attacked the oil tanker Wind with a single anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM). The Panamanian-flagged ship Wind recently docked in Russia and was on its way to China.

The missile “caused flooding and lost propulsion and maneuverability. Coalition vessels responded immediately to a distress signal by M/T Wind, but no assistance was required,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. statement.

Officials said the tanker crew was able to regain steering and propulsion. There were no casualties and the ship “resumed sailing under its own power.”

The Houthis have continued to attack ships transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Israeli-Hamas war began last year. They are pressuring Israel to stop shelling Gaza, which has so far killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, local health officials said.

The conflict began after an Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel killed about 1,200 Israelis and took about 250 hostages in the country’s south.

Although missile and drone attacks by the Houthis have decreased in frequency in recent weeks, targeting ships in the region has disrupted shipping lanes and forced vessels to take longer routes. It costs more and takes longer to complete.

“The continued malicious and reckless actions by the Iran-backed Houthis threaten regional stability and endanger the lives of seafarers in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” CENCTOM said in a statement on Saturday. .