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VIDEO: Houthis attack oil tankers in the Red Sea

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In a statement posted on the US Central Command (Centcom) X-site on July 16, the US Central Command (Centcom) announced that “Iran-backed Houthis used a USV to attack the MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged, Marshall Islands-owned, and Greek-operated crude oil tanker in the Red Sea.”

“The UPS caused damage, but MT Chios Lion did not request assistance. No injuries have been reported so far,” Centcom said in the statement.

In the same post, Centcom said it had destroyed five Iran-backed Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the Red Sea and Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, determining that these UAVs posed an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces and commercial vessels in the region.

“In addition, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched multiple attacks against the MT Bentley I, a Panama-flagged, Israeli-owned and Monaco-controlled tanker in the Red Sea transporting vegetable oil from Russia to China,” Centcom noted in the post.

“The Iran-backed Houthis used three surface vessels, one unmanned surface vessel and two small boats in this attack. No damage or injuries have been reported so far,” it said.

“Later, the Iran-backed Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) from Houthis-controlled territory in Yemen across the Red Sea toward MT Bentley I. No damage or injuries have been reported to date,” it said.

Centcom said in the post that “this continued reckless behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”

“The Houthis claim to act on behalf of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, yet they attack and threaten the deaths of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.

“US Centcom will continue to work with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and weaken their military capabilities,” it added.

Javier Blas, energy and commodities columnist at Bloomberg, noted in a July 16 post on his Page X that “the Houthis in Yemen have released a propaganda video of their attack on the oil tanker MT Chios Lion using an unmanned surface vessel.”

“The oil tanker sustained minor damage and the crew is safe,” Blas added in the post, which was accompanied by the video below.

A press release posted on the Centcom website last month said that on June 12, the Iran-backed Houthis used an unmanned surface vessel to attack the M/V Tutor, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned and operated bulk carrier, “resulting in severe flooding and damage to the engine room.”

“One civilian sailor remains missing following the attack. The crew abandoned ship and was rescued by USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and partner forces. The M/V Tutor remains in the Red Sea and is slowly taking on water,” Centcom said in a press release.

In a statement on the Tutor incident published on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) website on June 13, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said: “Once again, I am appalled that seafarers continue to be victims of assault and injury while carrying out their work.”

“I am deeply saddened to learn that a crew member from the merchant vessel Tutor is currently missing following an attack in the Red Sea. My thoughts and those of the IMO are with the crew member’s family,” he added.

“I strongly condemn any kind of attack on international shipping, regardless of the motivation or cause. I call on all governments and relevant organizations to provide maximum assistance to the affected seafarers and to spare no efforts to find a solution to this crisis,” he continued.

“This situation cannot continue. Everyone will feel the negative impact if international shipping can no longer operate as usual. But our commitment is, above all, to ensure the safety of all seafarers,” Dominguez continued.

Recent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have increased sharplywhich is leading to shipping routes and impacting oil markets, said Claudio Galimberti, director of global market analysis at Rystad Energy, in a market update the Rystad team recently sent to Rigzone.

“This escalation since the end of May has increased maritime security concerns and led to vessel diversions and higher transport costs,” Galimberti added in the update.

“With no sign of an end to the attacks amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, there is a risk of a prolonged closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This would impact global oil trade and shipping economies and have far-reaching implications for regional stability and geopolitical strategies,” he continued.

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