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Late on January 26, the Iranian-backed Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen struck a tanker in the Gulf of Aden, setting it alight.
In a statement, the military spokesman of the group, Brigade General Yahya Saree, said that the tanker, M/V Marlin Luanda, was “British.”
He said that the attack was in support “of the oppressed Palestinian people” and in response “to the American-British aggression against our country”.
“Using a number of appropriate naval missiles, the strike was direct, and resulted in the burning of the vessel,” he added.
In a statement posted on X, previously known as Twitter, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the attack. It said that “Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker”.
The command added that the ship issued a distress call and reported damage, but no injuries have been reported so far, noting that “other coalition ships have responded and are rendering assistance”.
Commodities group Trafigura revealed that the tanker was operated on its behalf. The company, which has offices in the UK, said that fire fighting equipment on board was being deployed to control the flames and that the safety of the crew was its priority.
“Earlier on 26 January, the Marlin Luanda, a petroleum products tanker vessel operated on behalf of Trafigura, was struck by a missile as it transited the Red Sea,” a Trafigura spokesperson said. “Firefighting equipment on board is being deployed to suppress and control the fire caused in one cargo tank on the starboard side. The safety of the crew is our foremost priority.”
A UK government spokesperson later said: “We are aware of reports that the M/V Marlin Luanda, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, has sustained damage from attack in the Gulf of Aden. Current reports suggest no casualties and nearby coalition vessels are on the scene.”
“We have been clear that any attacks on commercial shipping are completely unacceptable and that the UK and our allies reserve the right to respond appropriately,” he added.
Early on January 27, CENTCOM said that it struck a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed into the Red Sea and which was prepared to launch.
“U.S. Forces identified the missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, and determined it presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region. U.S. Forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense,” the command said in a statement posted on X.
Yemen’s Al-Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, said that “an American-British aggression” targeted the coastal area of Ras Issa in the western province of al-Hudaydah with two strikes. However, it didn’t report any casualties.
The Houthis have targeted dozens of Israel-affiliated vessels and others owned by the U.S. and the UK since November 19 in response to the ongoing Israeli war and siege on the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 26,000 Palestinains.
The U.S. and the UK retaliated to the Houthis’ recent attacks by carrying out dozens of strikes on military targets on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen over the last few weeks. However, the group remains undeterred.
