Houthis hit a British tanker carrying Russian oil

The UK “reserves the right to respond” after an oil tanker caught fire off the coast of Yemen. The US military confirmed the Houthi attack on the Marlin Luanda tanker in the Gulf of Aden.

The UK government said Britain and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately” after an oil tanker was attacked and set on fire off the coast of Yemen, The Guardian writes.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels said their navy carried out an operation against what they called the “British oil tanker Marlin Luanda” in the Gulf of Aden. Shipping records indicate that the vessel is flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. However, given the fact that it was London that reacted harshly to the militant attack, the true identity of the tanker does not seem so obvious.

They used “corresponding naval missiles, the strike was direct,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria said in a statement.

The US military also confirmed the attack, releasing a statement on Platform X, saying that “Iran-backed Houthi terrorists fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and hit a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker.”

The statement added that the ship issued a distress signal and reported damage, but so far there were no reports of casualties, adding that “other coalition ships have responded and are providing assistance.”

Commodities group Trafigura said the vessel was operated on its behalf. The company, which has offices in the UK, said fire-fighting equipment was deployed on board to combat the blaze and that crew safety was its “top priority”.

A Trafigura spokesman said: “Earlier on January 26, the tanker Marlin Luanda, carrying petroleum products on behalf of Trafigura, was hit by a missile while passing through the Red Sea. Fire-fighting equipment is deployed on board to extinguish and control a fire that originated in one cargo tank on the starboard side. Crew safety is our top priority. We remain in contact with the vessel and are closely monitoring the situation. Warships are in the region to provide assistance.”

A UK government spokesman said: “We are aware of reports that the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Marlin Luanda was damaged in an attack in the Gulf of Aden. Current reports indicate that there are no casualties and nearby coalition ships are on the scene. We have made clear that any attacks on commercial shipping are completely unacceptable and that the UK and our allies reserve the right to respond accordingly.”

According to The Guardian, the tanker that was hit by a missile was transporting Russian oil products purchased at a price below the limit in accordance with G7 sanctions, a Trafigura representative said.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the Free Spirit, chartered by Vitol to transport crude oil, turned around before reaching the Gulf of Aden shortly after the attack on the tanker Marlin Luanda, according to LSEG.

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea since November due to Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, The Guardian recalls.

But they have often attacked ships with weak or no clear ties to Israel, jeopardizing shipping on a key global trade route.

Along with numerous airstrikes on key Houthi targets, the UK and US are also imposing sanctions against key figures in the Iran-backed militant group.

A second series of British and US airstrikes earlier in the week appeared to do little to deter Houthi activity.

About eight hours after the oil tanker was shot down, the US military said it had destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed at the Red Sea and ready to be launched. The missile “posed an immediate threat to commercial and US Navy ships in the region,” US Central Command said in a statement.

Earlier on Friday, a spokesman for the British Prime Minister said: “We continue to urge [хуситов] refuse such actions. We are clear that this is illegal and unacceptable.”

Foreign Secretary David Cameron is wrapping up a trip to the Middle East in a diplomatic attempt to ease tensions over Israel’s ongoing bombing of Gaza, The Guardian notes.