Oil tanker attacked off Hodeidah in Red Sea

An oil tanker was damaged in an attack believed to have been carried out by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia today, marking the latest escalation in maritime tensions in the Red Sea. This incident follows a period of relative calm since July 20, when Israel targeted the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah.

The Greek shipping ministry and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the oil tanker “Sounion” was attacked by two small boats off the coast of Hodeidah. The boats hit the tanker with three projectiles, causing damage but no injuries, according to Reuters.

The UKMTO stated that the two boats, carrying about 15 people, approached the tanker and a brief exchange of small arms fire occurred, 77 nautical miles (142 km) west of Hodeidah port.

The agency confirmed that the Sounion, which flies the Greek flag and has 25 crew members on board, lost its ability to maneuver as a result of the attack, while the Greek Ministry of Shipping released a statement confirming that the ship was damaged.

The UKMTO noted that there were no reports of injuries among the crew members, which consisted of only Russian and Filipino nationals.

In a separate but related incident in the same area, British security company Ambrey reported that "another ship was fired upon by two boats 10 miles south of the site of the first attack," though the name of the ship was not disclosed.

Delta Tankers, the company operating the Sounion tanker, confirmed that the vessel was subjected to a "hostile incident" in the Red Sea, resulting in minor damage.

The Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for the attack, although the militia often delays such claims, which have been a recurring pattern since their maritime attacks began in November 2023, often through statements issued by military spokesman Yahya Sarea.

A circulating video from Jabal Maswar in Jahaf district in Al-Dhalea Governorate, showing the moment the Houthi militia launched the missile toward the Red Sea#south24 pic.twitter.com/ujU1uJdrKl

— South24 | English (@South24E) August 21, 2024

It is notable that between July 20 and August 21, the Houthis announced only three naval operations—a significant drop compared to previous months such as March (23 attacks) and May (22 attacks), according to statistics from South24 Center.

In repeated recent speeches, top Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi threatened to retaliate against the Israeli attack on Hodeidah, and escalate naval attacks if Israel does not cease its operations in Gaza.

On August 15, he vowed to coordinate with Iran and the Shiite militias in the region to respond to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, citing tactical reasons for the delayed response.