Houthis, attack another oil tanker. The reaction of the USA and Great Britain

American forces attacked a Houthi position in Yemen after Shiite rebels attacked a burning British oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. «At approximately 3:45 a.m. local time, the US military Middle East Command (Centcom) carried out an attack on a ready-to-fire Houthi anti-ship missile launcher in the Red Sea», we read that it was an “imminent threat” to American destroyers and merchant ships in the region. Rebels close to Iran, who are intensifying attacks against merchant traffic in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, reported last night that they launched “missiles” against a “British oil tanker, the Marlin Luanda”, specifying that the ship, “hit from the front, it caught fire». Rebel military spokesman Yahya Saree added that the attack was carried out in support of the Palestinian people and “in response to British and American aggression against our country.”

The Trafigura group, which manages Marlin Luanda, said there were no reports of victims. “The crew continues its efforts to control the fire with the assistance of warships.” Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said the United States and Britain then launched two airstrikes on the port of Ras Issa in Hodeida province, where Yemen’s main oil export terminal is located. The rebels did not provide details of the attack, which has not been confirmed by either Washington or London.

On Friday, the United States destroyed an anti-ship ballistic missile launched “from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen” and aimed at an Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer, a US warship. Also on Thursday, Washington and London announced sanctions against four senior Houthi officials accused of being involved in organizing these attacks. These tensions have led some shipowners to suspend transit through the Red Sea, which normally hosts up to 12% of world trade, and to bypass Africa to reach Asia and Europe. The repercussions on maritime traffic and world trade are already being felt.