Houthis in Yemen Confirm Missile Attack on British Oil Tanker 'Polux'

Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis in Yemen, announced in a statement that the group, supported by the Islamic Republic, has launched a missile at the British oil tanker 'Polux' in the Red Sea. According to Reuters, Saree claims that the ship was directly hit. The day before, the U.S. Department of State had reported that a missile launched from Yemen struck the oil tanker Polux's port. The vessel was identified as a Panama-flagged tanker carrying crude oil to India. Previously, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the British maritime security company Ambrey reported that a Panama-flagged tanker was hit 133 kilometers northwest of the port of Mokha in Yemen. According to Ambrey, the ship sustained minor damage, and its crew is safe. Based on LSEG data, this tanker was loaded on January 24 from the port city of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea, Russia, and was scheduled to discharge in Paradip, India, on February 28. The Indian Oil Corporation has an oil refinery with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day in Paradip, located in the eastern state of Odisha. According to LSEG data, this ship belongs to Oceanfront Maritime SA and is operated by Sea Trade Marine SA. As the Iranian-backed Houthis continue their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, a senior European Union official announced on Friday that the EU-led maritime control mission in the Red Sea will begin on Monday, February 19, and will last for one year. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated on February 1 that the EU intends to focus entirely on protecting commercial vessels and intercepting missiles launched by the Iranian-backed Houthis during the maritime mission in the Red Sea. A tanker in the Red Sea was targeted by a missile attack. From Monday, EU forces will take charge of maritime transport protection in the Red Sea. The U.S. has once again placed the Iranian-backed Houthis on the list of 'global terrorists.' A senior U.S. commander in the Middle East stated that the IRGC operates in Yemen 'shoulder to shoulder with the Houthis.' The U.S. continues its response to the Islamic Republic and its proxies; a cyber attack on the spy ship Bashad.