On Saturday, the Houthis struck a shadow tanker with a history of hauling Venezuelan and Russian oil. None of the 23 Filipino crew was injured when the 21-year-old vessel was hit.
US Central Command said a single anti-ship missile hit the Panamanian-flagged and Greek-owned tanker, at around 1 am local time, causing flooding that knocked out its propulsion and steering.
The crew was able to restore power and steering, and the ship was able to resume its course under its own power.
British security firm Ambrey said the attack occurred about 10 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Mokha, and that the missile caused a fire in the steering gear compartment.
The vessel had loaded oil at the Sheskharis terminal in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and was bound for China, Ambrey said.
Since November last year, Houthis have targeted close to 100 merchant ships in retaliation for Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza leading to a massive rerouting of marine traffic away from the Middle East.