Houthis attack Israeli tanker carrying vegetable oil in the Red Sea

Iran-backed Houthi terrorists have attacked an Israeli tanker in the Red Sea “multiple times” in the past 24 hours that was transporting vegetable oil from Russia to China, the US Central Command said on Monday.

The ship, MT Bentley I, is Panama-flagged, operated in Monaco and Israeli-owned, according to CENTCOM. The Houthis attacked it with an anti-ship missile, drones, three “surface vessels” and two small boats, CENTCOM added. “No damage or injuries have been reported to date.”

On Monday, CENTCOM also said it had shot down five Houthi drones over the Red Sea and two in Houthis-controlled parts of Yemen that “posed an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and commercial vessels in the region.” The Houthis also attacked the crude oil tanker MT Chios Lion — which flies the Liberian flag, is based in the Marshall Islands and is operated by Greece — causing damage but no injuries.

“This ongoing reckless behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said. “The Houthis claim to act on behalf of the Palestinians in Gaza, yet they target and threaten the lives of third-country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza.”