Dubai, United Arab Emirates – A missile fired by Iran-backed rebels hit a Greek oil tanker off Yemen early Thursday, causing some damage but no casualties, US Central Command said.
“At approximately 1 am (Sanaa time) May 18, Iranian-backed Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) into the Red Sea and struck M/T Wind, a Panamanian-flagged, Greek owned and operated oil tanker”, CENTCOM said in a post on social media site X.
It said the vessel had recently docked in Russia and was bound for China.
The attack caused some flooding “which resulted in the loss propulsion and steering”, CENTCOM said.
A ship from the international coalition to protect the vital shipping lanes through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea responded but no assistance was necessary, it added.
The ship later resumed course under its own power.
Earlier, maritime security firm Ambrey reported the attack, saying it took place off the coast of Yemen’s southwestern city of Mokha overlooking the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait.
The British navy’s maritime security agency UKMTO also said it had received a report of a vessel “sustaining slight damage after being struck by an unknown object”.
“The vessel and crew are safe and continuing to its next port of call,” United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations added.
It said the incident occurred 98 nautical miles (180 kilometres) south of the rebel-held Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
The Houthis who control much of Yemen have launched dozens of attacks on vessels in and around the Red Sea since November in a campaign they say is in solidarity with Palestinians in war-torn Gaza.
The attacks have prompted reprisal strikes by US and British forces and the formation of the international coalition to protect shipping in the area.
