Explosive-Packed Drone Boat Slams Into Oil Tanker in Red Sea

An explosive-laden drone boat slammed into an oil tanker as it sailed past the coast of Yemen, a sign Israeli airstrikes haven’t deterred the country’s Houthi militants from attacking commercial shipping.

The 900-foot ship was hit by an uncrewed surface vessel 64 nautical miles northwest of the rebel-held port city of Hodeidah, the UK’s naval liaison in the region said on Twitter. The incident punctured a tank that holds water to keep the freighter stable when it doesn’t have cargo.

UKMTO WARNING - INCIDENT 124 - ATTACK UPDATE 003https://t.co/ZgjRM6rsdX#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/KU5ifcuoKJ

— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) October 1, 2024

While UK authorities didn’t identify the vessel, a security expert with knowledge of the matter said it was the oil tanker Cordelia Moon. That would be consistent with the ship’s digital tracks. The vessel was sailing back toward the Mediterranean, having recently delivered Russian oil to India.

The international maritime database Equasis shows that the manager of the of the Cordelia Moon is an Indian company called Margao Marine Solutions. An email to the firm, the only listed means of contacting it, wasn’t responded to. Its insurer isn’t known, according to a database maintained by S&P Global.

The master reported the crew is safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call, the UK Maritime Trade Operations, which communicates with merchant shipping in the area.

Second Attack

The UKMTO also reported a second attack, this time 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, on another ship.

“The vessel has sustained damage. All crew are reported safe. Authorities are investigating,” it said.

The suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels would mark their first on commercial ships in weeks. Israeli fighter jets bombed a seaport and several power stations in Yemen, its military said Sunday. 

The Houthis, one of a network of Islamist militant organizations backed by Iran, began targeting shipping in the Red Sea in late 2023 in response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. 

The rebels persisted with their attacks even after the US and allies launched airstrikes to deter them. Swaths of shipping firms have opted to send vessels on longer routes to avoid the area. Insurance costs have risen sharply.

The Houthis have said they are targeting Israeli- and Western-linked vessels in solidarity with Palestinians as the war in Gaza nears one-year and is feared to be expanding into a regional conflict. 

The attacks come as Israeli ground forces enter Lebanon and sent soldiers into southern Lebanon, alongside airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, raising the risks of a wider regional conflict. The escalation follows days of Israeli airstrikes that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top officials.

On Monday, the Houthis threatened “escalating military operations” targeting Israel.