Houthi armed assault strikes chemical tanker
Unrelenting Threat in the Red Sea: The assault on merchant vessels continues relentlessly. Recent victim, the oil and chemical tanker "Olympic Spirit", was subjected to attacks. The Houthi militia allegedly launched "11 ballistic missiles and 2 drones" at the presumed US tanker.
The crew of the Liberian-registered oil and chemical tanker "Olympic Spirit", approximately 160 meters long and 26 meters wide, miraculously survived the most recent attack off the Yemeni coast. While en route from Jeddah to Oman in the southern Red Sea, the ship was targeted by Houthi militias.
At approximately 5 am, the captain reported the impact of an "unidentified projectile", as per the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The projectile struck the starboard side of the ship, causing damage, but no onboard fire ensued. The crew remained unharmed and continued the voyage.
Subsequent projectiles later struck "in close proximity", as reported by an updated warning from the UK maritime authority. These projectiles seemingly missed the ship by around 500 meters.
At the time of the incident, the "Olympic Spirit" was approximately 70 nautical miles (around 130 kilometers) southwest of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida. The Houthi-controlled coastline was still around 100 kilometers away.
The Houthi militia claimed responsibility for the incident, stating that an "American oil tanker" had been "assaulted by 11 ballistic missiles and 2 drones, directly and severely hit." As no other ship in the region reported attacks, analysts presume that the militia is referring to the "Olympic Spirit."
Similarly, several hundred nautical miles away, the Houthi militia claimed to have attacked the freighter "St. John". A Houthi spokesperson declared that the owner of the container ship had violated a "ban on access to the occupied Palestinian ports" by the company managing the ship. The "St. John" too appears to have escaped the attack unscathed.
"Olympic Spirit" under German flag until July
The "St. John", approximately 172 meters long and 27 meters wide, was sailing under the Maltese flag from Mogadishu, Somalia to the United Arab Emirates. The ship's owner, as per marine databases such as MarineTraffic, is the Greek shipping company Eastern Mediterranean Maritime. Conversely, the tanker "Olympic Spirit" was previously known as "Avalon" and sailed under the German flag until July last year. The tanker now adheres to the orders of a Greek owner.
The Houthi militia, similar to Lebanese Hezbollah, is part of the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance" against Israel, which also includes the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas in Gaza Strip. This group, which has controlled significant parts of Yemen for years, has repeatedly assaulted merchant ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, reportedly "in solidarity" with the Palestinians in Gaza Strip.
The USA, Israel, and Britain have already attacked targets in Yemen on several occasions in retaliation. However, the Houthis have remained undeterred from their perilous actions due to specific military measures.
In late August, rockets and drone munitions hit the oil tanker "Sounion", causing it to float ablaze at sea for multiple weeks before being towed to safer waters under military protection. In early October, the Houthis released footage of an attack on the oil tanker "Cordelia Moon": The ship was hit by a rocket on its port side, suffering significant damage from the explosion of the warhead.
Experts warn that bombardment of oil tankers could quickly escalate to a major environmental catastrophe. In this scenario, not only would the marine ecosystem in the Red Sea be in danger, but possibly also the livelihoods of fishermen along the Yemeni coast. A maritime mission, including German participation, has been launched to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The Houthi militia, responsible for the attack on the "Olympic Spirit", is a Yemeni group that has repeatedly targeted merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, allegedly in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Despite being attacked multiple times by the USA, Israel, and Britain, the Houthi militia continues its actions, demonstrating resilience against specific military measures.
