Two Oil Tankers Targeted in Separate Attacks in the Red Sea

Reuters reported, citing two informed sources, that two separate attacks occurred on a Saudi oil tanker and a Panama-flagged tanker on Monday in the Red Sea. The British Maritime Agency also reported on Monday that a commercial vessel was targeted by a drone attack approximately 58 nautical miles from the port of Hodeidah, Yemen. As of the time of this writing, it remains unclear whether the Iran-backed Houthis were responsible for the attacks on the two tankers on Monday. According to Reuters sources, the Saudi tanker 'Amjad' and the Panama-flagged tanker 'Blue Lagoon 1' were moving near each other at the time of the attack. These attacks did not result in significant casualties or financial damage, and both tankers continued on their course. The national shipping company 'Bahri,' which owns the 'Amjad' tanker, has not yet commented on the attack. The maximum capacity of 'Amjad' is two million barrels. The Greek company managing 'Blue Lagoon 1' has also not commented on the attack on Monday. One of the sources told Reuters that it is unlikely that 'Amjad' was directly targeted. Saudi Arabia, as the world's largest crude oil exporter, has been watching with concern the Houthi missile launches over its territory aimed at targeting vessels in the Red Sea. In recent years, the Saudi kingdom has attempted to distance itself from confrontation with the Houthis and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is the main supporter of this militant group. The Houthis carried out their first drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea on October 19 last year in support of Hamas, another proxy group of the Islamic Republic. This Iran-backed group has conducted over 70 drone and missile attacks in the past 10 months, resulting in two ships sinking, one ship being seized, and at least three sailors losing their lives. The unsuccessful Houthi attack on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden initiated the rescue operation for the Greek tanker in the Red Sea; the European Union stated that no leaks have been observed. The Houthis detonated parts of the abandoned Greek tanker in the Red Sea with bombs. The European Union rejected the U.S. assessment: no oil leak has occurred from the 'Sunion' tanker in the Red Sea. The Iranian representation, referring to the environmental sabotage by the Houthis, stated that they agreed to a 'temporary ceasefire.'