Iranian-backed Houthis launched on Saturday one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) into the Red Sea and struck M/T Wind, a Panamanian-flagged, Greek-owned and -operated oil tanker.
The latest in a string of Houthi strikes on Greek ships took place at approximately 1 a.m. Sanaa time, according to the U.S. Central Command.
The impact of the missile strike caused the tanker to flood, which resulted in the loss of propulsion and steering. A coalition vessel immediately responded to the distress call by M/T Wind, but no assistance was needed.
The crew of M/T Wind was able to restore propulsion and steering before it resumed its course under its own power.
No casualties were reported.
The oil tanker was most recently docked in Russia and was bound for China at the time of the Houthi strike.
Greek-owned ship hit by Houthis was bound for China
Houthi rebels have launched more than 50 attacks since November on various nations’ commercial ships off Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, on a route through which almost 15% of global seaborne trade used to travel.
Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the area are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza, which began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel in October, but they have been targeting ships of many nations.
U.S. Central Command has previously opined that the Houthis attacks “have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza” since the group appears to be firing indiscriminately into the Red Sea, targeting ships, and impacting more than 40 nations.
To avoid the attacks, more than 2000 commercial vessels have decided to stop traveling through the Red Sea and reroute their journeys to sail around South Africa, on a much longer and costly voyage.
The May 18 strike on M/S Wind is not the first time the Houthis have attacked Greek-owned ships; a few attacks have been recorded since January 2024, the most recent on April 30.
“This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” the U.S. Central Command commented in its social media announcement about the May 18 strike.
Since January, the US and UK have led coalition missile strikes against the Houthis, while other countries are independently patrolling the waters near Yemen.
Nonetheless, earlier in May, Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree, who is associated with the Houthi movement, announced that his men would “target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea in any area we are able to reach”.