An unmanned boat loaded with explosives has crashed into the Panama-flagged British oil tanker Cordelia Moon in the Red Sea, causing a massive explosion and fire, in an attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The attack took place about 110 kilometers (XNUMX miles) from Yemen's port of Hodeida, which has been hit by Israeli air strikes in recent days.
Bystander footage from the scene showed the tanker engulfed in flames and thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky after the explosion struck the vessel's port fuel tank. Despite the extensive damage, no one was hurt on board. The captain of another vessel nearby said he heard four loud splashes, which he suspected were missiles fired by the Houthis that had missed.
The Houthis confirmed that the attack involved an unmanned boat loaded with explosives, a drone and eight missiles. The strike has raised international concerns about the growing threat to commercial shipping in the region, where a wider war could flare up as tensions between Israel and Lebanon escalate.
The attack was the Houthis' first significant strike on commercial shipping in weeks.
It is also known that last week another ship, a Liberian-flagged cargo ship heading to the Suez Canal, was damaged by a missile strike about 177 kilometers northwest of Hodeida. According to British security company Ambrey and maritime sources, the ship suffered significant damage, but the exact consequences of the attack are not yet known.