No casualties were reported following the attack on the Strinda tanker as it passed through the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels say they struck a Norwegian oil tanker in the Iran-aligned group’s latest military operation in Israel’s war on Gaza.
The Norwegian ship Strinda was struck Monday evening while crossing the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
On Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted the ship because it was “loaded with oil” bound for Israel.
The crew refused to respond to all warnings, he said in a televised statement, adding that the Houthis would continue to block ships heading to Israeli ports until Israel allowed entry to food and medical aid in the Gaza Strip.
The Strinda, an oil and gas tanker, was en route to Italy, according to ship tracking data. The ship is part of the fleet of Bergen-based shipping company Mowinckels Rederi, according to its website.
The company’s managing director, Geir Belsnes, confirmed that the ship had been “hit by a missile” and caught fire.
“Fortunately, no crew members were injured, who managed to put out the fire,” Belsnes told Tel Aviv Tribune in an email. “Our focus has been and remains the safety and well-being of seafarers on board. »
He added that the ship was “now heading towards a safe port”.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the attack occurred around midnight local time (2100 GMT) by “what is believed to have been an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) launched from an area of Yemen controlled by the Houthis.
The attack comes as threats against commercial shipping in the region intensify amid Israel’s war on Gaza. The Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea and launched drones and missiles targeting Israel. In recent days, they have threatened to target any ship they believe is heading to or coming from Israel.
CENTCOM said the USS Mason responded to Strinda’s call and provided assistance.
The United States and France have not said their ships were targeted, but admitted that Houthi drones had flown toward their ships and were shot down in self-defense.
Washington has so far refused to respond directly to the attacks, as has Israel, whose military continues to describe the ships as having no connection to their country.
In November, the Houthis seized an Israeli-linked vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen. Rebels still hold the ship near the port city of Hodeidah. Furthermore, a container ship belonging to an Israeli billionaire was attacked by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean.
An attempted ceasefire between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of Yemen’s government-in-exile is in effect after years of fighting that created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.