On Saturday, Iranian-backed Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) into the Red Sea and struck M/T Wind, a Panamanian-flagged, Greek-owned and Greek-operated oil tanker.
The latest in a string of Houthi strikes on Greek ships took place at approximately 1 a.m. Sanaa time, according to the US Central Command.
The impact of the missile strike caused the tanker to flood, resulting in the loss of propulsion and steering. A coalition vessel immediately responded to the distress call by M/T Wind, but no assistance was needed.
The crew of M/T Wind was able to restore propulsion and steering before it resumed its course under its own power. No casualties were reported.
The oil tanker was most recently docked in Russia and was bound for China at the time of the Houthi strike.
Greek-owned ship hit by Houthis bound for China
Houthi rebels have launched more than 50 attacks since November on various nations’ commercial ships off Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, on a route through which almost 15 percent of global seaborne trade used to travel.
Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the area are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza. This began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel in October, but they have been targeting ships of many nations.
US Central Command has previously opined that the Houthis attacks “have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza” since the group appears to be firing indiscriminately into the Red Sea, targeting ships, and impacting more than forty nations.
To avoid the attacks, more than two thousand commercial vessels have decided to stop traveling through the Red Sea and reroute their journeys to sail around South Africa on a much longer and costly voyage.
The May 18th strike on M/S Wind is not the first time the Houthis have attacked Greek-owned ships. A few attacks have been recorded since January 2024, the most recent being on April 30th.
“This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” the US Central Command commented in its social media announcement about the May 18th strike.
Since January, the US and UK have led coalition missile strikes against the Houthis, while other countries are independently patrolling the waters near Yemen.
Nonetheless, earlier in May, Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree, who is associated with the Houthi movement, announced his men would “target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea in any area we are able to reach.”
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
