Houthi attacks proliferate

X.com An Indian-flagged cargo vessel sunk yesterday in a suspected Houthi attack in the southern Red Sea, adding another casualty to the growing list of merchant ships caught up in the conflict off Yemen. Upping their campaign against commercial shipping, the Houthis claimed today that they had also hit a Bahri tanker, The mechanised sailing vessel Faize Noore Oliya was struck on Tuesday around 13 nautical miles south of Hodeidah, a port controlled by the Houthis, before capsizing and sinking. India’s shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said all 14 people onboard — 13 Indian nationals and one Yemeni — were rescued by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government and taken to Mokha. Maritime security consultancy Windward identified the incident as a bomb-boat attack. The Houthis had not claimed responsibility by Tuesday evening, although Yemeni government-aligned forces blamed the group. India condemned the attack and called for an end to the targeting of merchant shipping, saying free and unimpeded navigation through the region must be restored. Not stepping back, the Houthis claimed today a ballistic missile strike on the Bahri-controlled tanker NCC Wafa off Yanbu, extending their campaign against Saudi shipping into the northern Red Sea. Yemen’s Houthi-run Saba news agency said the vessel was targeted with several ballistic missiles and described the strike as accurate. The group said the operation formed part of a maritime blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia last month, claiming it has since targeted eight Saudi tankers and forced another 29 vessels to turn back. These figures have not been independently verified. Bahri’s fleet records identify NCC Wafa as a 46,286 dwt chemical and product tanker built in 2014. The 183 m long vessel is operated within Bahri Chemicals, the Saudi shipping group’s joint venture with Sabic. There was no immediate confirmation from Bahri or Saudi authorities of damage, casualties, pollution or disruption to the vessel’s voyage. Further east, an oil spill from the grounded, sanctions-listed suezmax Caroline Bezengi off Oman has expanded sharply, raising fears of a major environmental disaster in a protected marine area. Satellite imagery assessed by Greenpeace Germany on Monday indicated the spill now covers around 150 sq km, up from an estimated 20 sq km a week earlier. The sheen stretches nearly 90 km, with thick patches of oil reaching the southern and western shores of Qibliyah Island in Dhofar. The 274 m Cameroon-flagged tanker, which is sanctioned by the UK, EU, Canada and Switzerland over its role in carrying Russian oil, is believed to have more than 800,000 barrels onboard. Experts say the darker colour of the slick could indicate heavier leakage, possibly from a breached fuel tank, while the vessel may be settling deeper on the rocky shoreline. Finally, turning to Hormuz, an international group of shipping trade associations have sent a letter this week to UN secretary-general, António Guterres and IMO secretary-general, Arsenio Dominguez, calling for no compulsory tolls or charges to be introduced in the strait and beyond, amid ongoing conjecture that Iran is pushing for some toll system. “Once such a precedent is established, it becomes increasingly difficult to resist similar measures elsewhere, creating uncertainty for international shipping and global commerce,” the shipping groups warned. Follow Us Sam Chambers Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune. Newsletter DAILY SPLASH NEWSLETTER Subscribe now for FREE daily news updates. Subscribe Read Next August 5, 2026 Fugro scores deepwater ROV contract for ONGC drilling campaign August 5, 2026 Black Sea attacks choke grain, coal and iron ore trades August 5, 2026 Callum Beaumont: Your guide to a career in shipbroking August 5, 2026 Vantris boosts orderbook with $203m contract haul August 4, 2026 Three seriously injured as drone strikes Turkish roro off Novorossiysk