Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Claim Responsibility for Latest Red Sea Attack

Fighters against Shiite rebels known as Houthis gather at the road leading to Al-Anad base near Aden in the southern province of Lahej, Yemen, on Aug. 3, 2015. AP Photo/Wael Qubady

The Iranian backed Houthi rebels attacked two more crude oil tankers on Monday that were passing through the international shipping corridor in the southern Red Sea off Yemen.

A spokesperson for the terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for one of the attacks so far, and U.S. officials said the group was also responsible for the attack on the second tanker.

In a Sept. 2 statement, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the rebels fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles and an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, at the Panama-owned Blue Lagoon and the Saudi-owned Amjad.

According to CENTCOM, the Amjad is carrying two million barrels of oil. At the same time, the Greek tanker Delta Sounion, which the Houthi attacked on Aug. 21, is still in the Red Sea, disabled and on fire, threatening the “possibility of a major environmental disaster.”

“These reckless acts of terrorism by the Houthis continue to destabilize regional and global commerce, as well as put the lives of civilian mariners and maritime ecosystems at risk,” CENTCOM said.

“U.S. Central Command will continue to work with international partners and allies to protect commerce and mitigate potential impacts to the environment despite the irresponsible and careless actions of the Iranian-backed Houthis.”

The Houthi first started attacking ships in the Red Sea and its neighboring waters in October 2023, soon after Israel began its war with the Iran-backed terror group Hamas in retaliation for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which saw over 1,200 people murdered by Hamas terrorists.

Houthis Claim Responsibility

The Houthi rebels have said their attacks are to show support for Palestinians in Gaza and to pressure Israel to stop its war against Hamas, which has seen over 40,000 people killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack on the Blue Lagoon on behalf of the group in a Sept. 2 statement posted to social media.

Saree said the “specific military operation” was because the tanker was owned by a company that continues to support Israel.

“The ship was targeted owing to violation of ban decision of access to the ports of occupied Palestine by the company that owns the ship,” he said.

“The Yemini Armed Forces renew their warnings to all companies dealing with the Israeli enemy that their ships will be targeted while sailing through the declared area of the naval operations, regardless of their destination.”

In a later update, Centcom said U.S. forces successfully destroyed two missile systems in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, calling the weapons a serious threat to regional stability.

“It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region,” the government agency said.

“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.”