Three Separate Red Sea Attacks Claimed by Houthis

Houthis attacking an oil tanker
Middle East Accidents & Emergencies
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Updated Published

On Monday, July 15, Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for targeting three vessels: Bentley I, Olvia and Chios Lion. The attacks were carried out using booby-trapped boats, ballistic missiles, and drones.

A Houthi spokesperson announced that oil tankers Bentley I and Chios Lion were struck in the Red Sea, while the crude oil tanker Olvia was targeted in the Mediterranean Sea in coordination with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance. The U.S. Central Command confirmed the attacks on Bentley I and Chios Lion. 

Bentley I, a Panama-registered vessel owned by an Israeli company and operated by Monaco, was transporting vegetable oil from Russia to China. The U.S. Central Command reported that the ship was attacked by three surface vessels, including two small boats and one unmanned surface vessel (USV). Additionally, it was targeted by an anti-ship ballistic missile.

Chios Lion was hit by an unmanned surface vessel, resulting in damage. She is a Liberian-flagged oil tanker owned by a Marshall Islands entity and operated by a Greek company.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported three attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea on July 15. The first attack occurred 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, involving two manned boats and one unmanned boat that collided with the vessel. The ship’s self-protection measures forced the attackers to retreat, but missile explosions were later reported.

The second incident took place 97 nautical miles northwest of Al Hudaydah, where an unmanned surface vessel caused minor damage to another ship's port side. The third attack happened on July 11, 15 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukha, Yemen, with two missile explosions near the vessel.

No crewmembers were injured in any of these incidents, and UKMTO has not confirmed the identities of the attacked vessels.

A Houthi spokesperson stated that these military operations were in retaliation for Israel's airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday.