The Houthis continued to attack crude oil tankers traveling through the Red Sea over the Labor Day weekend, Central Command announced this week.
The Yemen-based Houthis attacked crude oil tankers Panama-flagged M/V Blue Lagoon I, owned by a Panamanian company and operated by a Greek one, and M/V Amjad, a Saudi-flagged, owned and operated ship, on Sept.2, according to a Central Command release Monday night.
Central Command specifically released a notice about the attack on the two tankers, during which the Houthis used two ballistic missiles and a one-way attack drone. While CENTCOM releases near daily updates on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, they often do not include ships attacked by the Houthis. The State Department-designated terrorist group posts its operations on social media. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations also issued notices about ships hit by the Houthis.
The Central Command release does not say if the attacks on the two oil tankers were successful. It did note that both have crude oil aboard, including Amjad, which has approximately 2 million barrels. This is double the amount likely on MV Delta Sounion, an oil tanker attacked by the Houthis on Aug. 21.
Sounion is currently ablaze in the Red Sea. While the tanker hasn’t leaked there is a potential for an environmental disaster, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said. Salvage efforts are underway.
The Houthis promised safe passage for salvage ships to enter the Red Sea to address the burning vessel, Sal Mercogliano, a maritime professor at Campbell University, told USNI News. However, this process is delayed due to the lack of salvage services available by the U.S. Navy and other partner navies. Instead, a salvage company needs to be contracted, with some unwilling to go into the contested area.
MAXAR satellite imagery from last week shows fire aboard Sounion. Mercogliano told USNI News that these were fires from explosions set by the Houthis after the attack. The terrorist group has gone back to the ship twice to set explosions, he said.
It is unclear why the Houthis set explosions on the ship’s deck, Mercogliano said, adding that in other cases, such as M/V Tutor, the Houthis placed explosions to cause the ship to sink.
“They seem to [want] to send a message,” Mercogliano said.
Both U.S. Navy carrier strike groups are in U.S. 5th Fleet in preparation for a potential Iranian attack on Israel, as of Sept. 3, according to USNI News’ Fleet and Maritime Tracker. This puts more of the responsibility for Operation Prosperity Guardian on the European Union, Mercogliano said.
It is unclear how long the U.S. will keep both carrier strikes groups in the Middle East or Gulf of Oman. Submarine USS Georgia (SSN-729) is set to enter the Middle East, as well, but it is still on its way, Ryder confirmed Tuesday.
USS Laboon (DDG-58), an independently deployed destroyer, returned home to Norfolk, Va., Sunday after spending 259 days deployed, according to a Navy release. The destroyer spent most of its deployment in the Middle East. During its time in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the ship escorted commercial vessels, shot down Houthi projectiles and was the target of multiple Houthi attacks, according to USNI News’ timeline of Red Sea activity.
