For several months, Houthi militants with support from Iran have been targeting commercial vessels traversing the Red Sea. Despite repeated warnings from the United States, the rebels based in Yemen have been escalating their attacks. On February 1, the US military announced that it successfully intercepted an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from a Houthi-controlled region in Yemen, with no reported injuries or damage, according to Reuters.

According to the source, after the US military's reaction, the Houthi rebels escalated their assaults on merchant vessels in the Red Sea on Friday, February 2. This included an attack on a fuel tanker owned by the trading firm Trafigura.

A spokesperson from Trafigura stated that a missile hit the fuel tanker Marlin Luanda. The vessel was transporting Russian naphtha, which had been acquired below the price cap in compliance with G7 sanctions.

The company said in an emailed statement, per Reuters that “firefighting equipment on board was being deployed to suppress and control a fire in one cargo tank on the starboard side.” The statement added, “We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully.”

According to Fox News, on Thursday, the Houthi rebels carried out three distinct attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The US Central Command Forces (CENTCOM) responded by intercepting a drone over the Gulf of Aden and eliminating a Houthi explosive uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) in the Red Sea.

CENTCOM said of the attack that the USV, heading toward the international shipping lane, presented an “imminent threat” to the US Navy ships. They added that the strike caused “significant secondary explosions.” “This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

Additionally, in a social media post, the Command Forces disclosed that Houthi militants in Yemen had launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles toward a cargo ship with a Liberian flag owned by Bermuda. Fortunately, the missiles failed to hit the target and landed in the sea without causing any damage to the ship. The outlet adds that the said attack resulted in no injuries.

Image source: Reuters