Iran-Backed Houthis Resume Attacks, Hitting Oil Tanker
Houthis struck a British crude oil tanker off the coast of Yemen Friday, raising concerns that the group backed by Iran may be resuming their attacks after weeks of relative calm in the Red Sea.
Houthis struck a British crude oil tanker off the coast of Yemen Friday, raising concerns that the group backed by Iran may be resuming their attacks after weeks of relative calm in the Red Sea.
The Houthi attack on the oil tanker, Andromeda Sta, came on the same day as they shot down an American MQ-9 “Reaper” surveillance drone over northwestern Yemen, signaling that a new Houthi offensive may well be under way.
The Andromeda Star was struck by at least 3 anti-ship missiles, with two having hit the ship. The vessel has reported “minor damage, but is continuing its voyage,” according to US Central Command. “There are no injuries or other damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships at this time.”
It’s unclear if these operations have any connections to the recent face-off between Iran and Israel. The Houthis have been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea since November last year, claiming support for Palestinians in Gaza. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called on Muslims in early November to blockade Israeli trade.
This is not the first time the Houthis have targeted an oil tanker. They did so in mid-February, without causing major damage.
The attack Friday comes after a few weeks of critically heightened tension between Israel and Iran, in which both countries directly attacked the other’s territory. With that conflict settled (for now), it is more likely, military experts say, that Israel would attack Hezbollah in Lebanon or begin its ground invasion of Rafah. The Houthis may have to be understood against this backdrop.
The group's military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, delivered a televised statement early hours of Saturday local time, taking responsibility for a “direct hit” on Andromeda as well as the downing of a US drone.
The US (alongside the UK) have carried out several attacks on Houthi targets within Yemen. The Houthis have declared that they will attack any vessel that they believe is linked to the US, UK and Israel.
Many of the largest shipping companies in the world have decided to avoid the Red Sea (and the Suez Canal) for safety reasons. The Houthis say their action is targeted against Israel and its allies, but cases have been reported where the targeted vessel has had no meaningful connection to those countries.
Global risk management firm Ambry has advised ship owners and operators to check their affiliation before venturing into the Red Sea "as the Houthis may associate vessels with out-of-date affiliations" –as seems to be the case with regards to Andromeda, which had been owned by the UK until November 2023.
Its current owner is Seychelles-registered. The ship had set off from Russia and was heading towards India when it was attacked by Houthis using Iranian missiles.
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Taliban and Iranian officials have not yet commented about the guards, who claim they had entered the Afghan territory "by mistake." They were arrested in Farah province in southwestern Afghanistan. Thursday night, Iranian state media reported that they were freed.
The Iranian government and Taliban have been involved in several border disputes over the past months. Clashes at the border over water rights in May claimed the lives of at least two Iranians and one Taliban soldier.
The situation has recently been tense in Iran’s eastern borders as the insurgent Sunni Baluch group known as Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) intensified its operations against Iranian security forces. The group advocates for enhanced rights and improved living conditions for the Baluch ethnic minority.
Earlier in the month, six law enforcement officers were killed by Jaish al-Adl militants during an ambush on police vehicles along the Sib and Suran county route in Sistan-Baluchistan province. The week before, the group also launched simultaneous attacks against military posts in Chabahar and Rask, killing 16 police forces; the clashes also claimed the lives of 18 Jaish al-Adl militants.
Jaish al-Adl has also been a source of tension between Iran and its nuclear neighbor, Pakistan, for years. In January, the IRGC attacked positions in Pakistan in what it called an attempt to target terrorists. Pakistan retaliated by attacking locations in southeastern Iran.
The US Treasury Department in a statement said the action, taken in coordination with the United Kingdom and Canada, targets over one dozen entities, individuals and vessels it accused of playing a key role in facilitating and financing the clandestine sale of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles to Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).
MODAFL in turn supports Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and Russia's war in Ukraine, the Treasury said.
“Iran’s Ministry of Defense continues to destabilize the region and world with its support to Russia’s war in Ukraine, unprecedented attack on Israel, and proliferation of UAVs and other dangerous military hardware to terrorist proxies,” Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said.
Washington also targeted two companies and a vessel involved in the shipment of Iranian commodities, the Treasury said.
“The United States, in close coordination with our British and Canadian partners, will continue to use all means available to combat those who would finance Iran’s destabilizing activities," Nelson said.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement, "The Iranian regime's dangerous attack on Israel risked thousands of civilian casualties and wider escalation in the region.”
"Today the UK and our partners have sent a clear message – we will hold those responsible for Iran's destabilizing behavior to account.
Britain also said it would introduce new bans on the export of drone and missile components to Iran, seeking to limit its military capabilities.
Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Treasury said it targeted Sahara Thunder, accusing it of being a main front company that oversees MODAFL's commercial activities in support of the IRGC and Russia's war in Ukraine.
It said the company plays a key role in Iran's design, development, manufacture and sale of thousands of drones, many of them ultimately transferred to Russia for use against Ukraine.
As of 2022, Russian officials were negotiating a deal for Sahara Thunder to deliver and produce thousands of drones per year at a facility in Russia under U.S. sanctions, the Treasury said.
Sahara Thunder's leadership and shipping network, which the Treasury said the company relied on for the sale and shipment of Iranian commodities on behalf of MODAFL to jurisdictions including China, Russia and Venezuela, were also targeted.
An Iran-based company involved in the procurement and development of unmanned aerial vehicles, its leadership and an Iranian cargo airline were also among those hit with sanctions.
The US earlier this month had warned it would impose further sanctions on Iran following its unprecedented attack on Israel.
Washington has since taken measures, including targeting Iran's drone program, steel industry and cyber actors.
Iran this month launched more than 300 drones and missiles against Israel, its first direct attack on the country, in retaliation for a suspected Israeli air strike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 11 that killed elite military officers.
(Reporting by Reuters)