Houthis hit two tanks in the Red Sea

Yemeni Houthis on Monday hit two tanks in the Red Sea, one of them under the Saudi flag.

According to a Reuters report citing US military sources, which said one of the targets struck on Monday was a Panama-flagged vessel called the Blue Lagoon I, and the other was the Saudi-flagged Amjad. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the Blue Lagoon we hit, Reuters reported, but did not mention the Saudi-flagged ship.

According to an AP report, the Blue Lagoon I had traveled to an undisclosed location in the Russian port of Ust Luga, reporting that it was carrying Russian crude oil on board. The Houthis have previously said they will not target Russian or Middle Eastern ships.

No damage occurred to either of the tanks, which were close together when they were hit. Both were able to continue their journey after the strike. The Saudi-flagged vessel has a capacity of up to 2 million barrels of crude oil, while the Blue Lagoon I can carry up to 1 million barrels.

The AP cited the Joint Maritime Intelligence Center, a unit established to track Houthi activity in the Red Sea and run by the US military, as saying the Blue Lagoon I tanker “was targeted because of other ships in its company structure. recent port calls in Israel.”

“These reckless acts of terrorism by the Houthis continue to destabilize regional and global trade, as well as endanger the lives of civilian sailors and maritime ecosystems,” US Central Command said, as quoted by the AP.

The Houthis have targeted ships passing through the Bab el Mandeb strait since November last year in response to Israeli bombardment of Gaza. The group initially said it would only target Israeli ships and those flying the flag of Israel’s allies, but has since expanded its campaign. An attempt by the US and some European allies to end the attacks has so far yielded no results.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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