The owner of the tanker Strinda confirmed that the vessel is en route to a safe port after it was hit by a missile, noting that all 22 crew members are safe. The Houthis stated today, Tuesday, that they carried out a military operation targeting the commercial tanker Strinda, which flies the Norwegian flag. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarih said in a televised statement that the group targeted the tanker with a naval missile after its crew refused to respond to warning calls. He added that the group "successfully prevented several ships from passing over the past two days that responded to the warnings of the Yemeni naval forces, and launched the attack on the Norwegian oil-laden vessel only after its crew rejected all warning calls."
The group reiterated its commitment to continuing to prevent all ships of any nationality from heading to Israeli ports "until what our steadfast brothers in Gaza need in terms of food and medicine is delivered." An American official told Reuters that the attack on the Strinda occurred approximately 60 nautical miles (111 kilometers) north of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, around 21:00 GMT. Another American official indicated that the Strinda moved without assistance in the hours following the attack.
The U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, stated on the social media platform X that "there were no American ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the U.S. Navy destroyer Mason responded to a distress call from M/T Strinda and is currently providing assistance." The U.S. military reported that the attack caused a fire and damage without any injuries. CENTCOM announced that a missile fired by the Houthis struck the Norwegian-flagged oil tanker on Monday while it was sailing off Yemen, noting that there were no immediate reports of casualties resulting from the strike.
CENTCOM posted on X that the oil tanker "Strinda" was hit by a cruise missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen while passing through. They confirmed that the ship reported "damage causing a fire onboard" and highlighted that an American destroyer responded to the distress call from the vessel and provided assistance.
Meanwhile, the British Maritime Trade Operations agency reported today that they were informed of an entity identifying itself as the "Yemeni Navy" directing a ship to change its course to a Yemeni port. The agency had previously reported on Monday that they received a notification about an attack targeting a ship near Bab-el-Mandeb off the coast of Yemen and that a fire had erupted on it. They added in a statement via X that authorities are investigating the attack that occurred in the Red Sea and that all crew members are safe, urging all ships in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
Two U.S. defense officials told Reuters on Monday that a ground-launched cruise missile fired from a Houthi-controlled area struck a commercial tanker, causing a fire and damage but no injuries. One official noted that the attack occurred about 60 nautical miles north of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and that the U.S. Navy destroyer Mason was on-site providing assistance.
This incident, for which the Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility, is the latest in a series of operations seen in the Red Sea and surrounding waters since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7. The Houthis have claimed previous operations that included seizing a commercial vessel and launching missiles and drones towards maritime targets, as well as others towards the city of Eilat in southern Israel. The Houthis affirmed that these attacks will continue until "Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people ceases."
