The Yemeni Houthi rebels today claimed responsibility for the attack on the British tanker in the Red Sea, which was previously reported by the maritime transport security agencies and the US State Department.
“The naval forces of the Yemeni armed forces carried out an operation targeting the British tanker ‘Polux’ in the Red Sea with a large number of naval missiles,” Houthi military spokesman Jahja Sara said.
The British Maritime Safety Agency UKMTO and the security company specialized in maritime transport “Ambrey” reported on Thursday that there was an explosion near a ship near the town of Mohte. The British agency reported that the ship and crew are safe, while “Ambrej” reported that the ship suffered minor damage.
The State Department later announced that a missile fired from Yemen had hit a Panamanian-flagged ship on its way to India carrying oil.
Since November, the Houthis have been increasing the number of attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which is why an increasing number of shipping companies are beginning to bypass that zone, which is essential for international trade.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim they are targeting ships linked to Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been waging a war against the Palestinian movement Hamas since October 7, following Hamas attacks on Israeli territory.
Since January, the Houthis have also targeted British and American ships in response to strikes on their positions by the United States and Great Britain, which they say are defending freedom of navigation on the important waterway for world trade.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a second British ship in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday. They announced yesterday that they will not hesitate to carry out military operations to defend Yemen and reiterated their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The Houthis control Yemen’s capital Sana’a and large swathes of territory in northwest Yemen, a country that has been in a civil war since 2014.
