Oil tanker reports 4 attacks off Yemen

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on Friday that the crude oil tanker Delta Blue had been attacked four times in the past 24 hours off the Yemeni port of Mokha. It noted that the company operating the tanker confirmed that it and its crew were safe.

This comes at a time when the Houthis have been launching attacks on shipping routes near Yemen since November in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.

The ship’s captain reported on Thursday that two small boats fired a rocket-propelled grenade that exploded near the Liberian-flagged tanker about 45 nautical miles south of the port of Mokha.

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The UKMTO stated each boat had four people on board, noting that another rocket exploded hours later near the tanker.

When asked about the incident, the Athens-based Delta Tankers, the company operating the tanker, said the crew and ship were safe and the vessel was continuing its journey.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces struck targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, destroying two drones, a Houthi ground control station and three anti-ship cruise missiles.

Earlier, the Houthis said they attacked another Greek-owned container ship in the Red Sea and two US destroyers in the Gulf of Aden.

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