Houthi militants claimed an attack on a tanker in the Mediterranean on a day in which they struck at two other vessels in the Red Sea.
The Yemen-based group’s armed forces said on its official website that it worked with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq to target a ship identified as the Olvia.
That appears to be a reference to the 6,400-dwt clean product tanker Olvia (built 2011), which is managed by Petronav Ship Management of Cyprus and owned by a one-ship company that shares an address with the company. The manager could not be reached for confirmation.
“The operation achieved its goal successfully, thanks be to God,” the Houthis said in a statement, according to a computerised translation.
The communique provided no detail on the attack.
“The continuation of the Israeli aggression in committing massacres against our brothers in Gaza will only push the Yemeni people, its armed forces and its faithful, struggling leadership to carry out more support operations and joint operations with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance in support of and victory for the oppressed Palestinian people,” the Houthis said.
“These operations will not stop except by stopping the aggression and lifting the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”
TradeWinds reported earlier on Monday that Greek and Monaco-controlled tankers came under attack in the Red Sea.
The Iranian-backed group claimed earlier in the day that it targeted Stealth Maritime’s 107,500-dwt Chios Lion (built 2010).
It said the strike with “an unmanned boat” scored a hit that was “accurate and direct”.
The ship’s Greek owner, a Vafias family company, could not be immediately reached for comment.
TradeWinds reported earlier on Monday that armed security guards on the tanker first fired warning shots and then shot at the attacking sea drone directly, causing it to explode “at a distance of a few metres from the port side of the vessel”.
The ship “sustained minor damage at port side, with no casualties reported” and kept on sailing after the incident, security firm Diaplous said.
The Houthis also said they used boats, drones and missiles to attack the 40,100-dwt Bentley I (built 2004). Equasis data shows the MR tanker is owned by an affiliate of Israel’s Orl Trading and managed by Sea World Management of Monaco, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Houthis claimed that they targeted both ships because their owners violated the group’s ban on calling in Israel.
