Spotlight on Ro-Ro Safety
This week at Maritime Reporter...The importance of safety on ro-ro vessels comes under the spotlight.The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch released its report into the engine room fire on board the ro-ro Stena Europe and concluded that the ship’s crew were insufficiently trained to inspect engine fuel systems and the temperature measuring equipment used by the crew to monitor the engine exhaust insulation did not effectively identify any hot spots.The Maritime and Coastguard…
Houthis Target Three Ships in Red Sea and Arabian Sea
Yemen's Houthis said on Monday that they targeted three ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, attacks they called part of their efforts to enforce a naval blockade on Israel.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised address the vessels were targeted for attempting to approach ports bound for Israel.According to the latest data from LSEG, all three targeted vessels were Liberia-registered.One of the vessels, identified by the Houthis as bulk carrier Motaro, was last seen off Yemen's western coast in the Red Sea…
Prepare for Attack: Houthis Issue Email Alert to Shipping Fleets
On a warm spring night in Athens, shortly before midnight, a senior executive at a Greek shipping company noticed an unusual email had landed in his personal inbox.The message, which was also sent to the manager's business email address, warned that one of the company's vessels travelling through the Red Sea was at risk of being attacked by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militia.The Greek-managed ship had violated a Houthi-imposed transit ban by docking at an Israeli port and would be "directly targeted by the Yemeni Armed Forces in any area they deem appropriate…
Houthis Attack Same Container Ship Twice
Yemen's Houthi militants said on Saturday that they attacked a Liberia-flagged container vessel for a second time in the latest action against commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden.Yemeni military spokesperson Yahya Saree's televised statement did not specify when the latest attack on the MV Groton took place.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in an advisory note that two missiles exploded on Friday in close proximity to the vessel, 130 nautical miles east of Yemen's Aden. It said the crew was safe.
Still No Oil Spill from Tanker Sounion Attacked by Houthis
As salvage operations began on an abandoned Greek-flagged oil tanker with deck fires still burning from Houthi rebel attacks, the EU's Red Sea naval mission Aspides said on Thursday that no oil spill has been detected.Yemen's Houthi militants carried out multiple assaults, including planting bombs on the already disabled 900-foot (274.2-meter) Sounion that is laden with about 1 million barrels of oil. On Wednesday, the Iran-aligned militants said they would allow salvage crews to tow the ship - which has been on fire since Aug.
Houthi-hit Tanker Sounion Appears to Be Leaking Oil
The Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion that was recently attacked by Yemen's Houthis is still on fire in the Red Sea and now appears to be leaking oil, a Pentagon spokesman said on Tuesday.The Sounion was targeted last week by multiple projectiles off Yemen's port city of Hodeidah. The Houthis, who control Yemen's most populous regions, said they attacked it in the Red Sea, as the Iran-aligned group has been attacking ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between…
Australia Next to Command Red Sea Maritime Task Force
Australia will assume command of the Combined Maritime Force’s Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 for six months from October.CTF 153 was established in April 2022 and focuses on international maritime security and capacity-building efforts in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden.Australia has been conducting maritime security operations in the Middle East under Operation MANITOU since 1990 and has previously commanded CTFs 150 and 152. This will be its first time for CTF 153.Chief of Joint Operations…
Stricken Oil Tanker Sounion Poses Environmental Risk After Red Sea Attack
A Greek-flagged oil tanker carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude that was evacuated by its crew after being attacked in the Red Sea now poses an environmental hazard, the EU's Red Sea naval mission "Aspides" said on Thursday.Houthis, who control Yemen's most populous regions, said on Thursday that they attacked the Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea, as the Iran-aligned group has been attacking ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.Sounion…
Ship Reports Small Arms Fire off Eritrea
A merchant vessel reported being approached with the use of small arms fire in waters 92 nautical miles northeast of Eritrea's Massawa port in Red Sea waters adjacent to Yemen's coast, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Thursday.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said shortly after that it received a sighting report of a small boat with armed persons onboard, operating in close proximity to a small coastal freighter, approximately 95 nautical miles northeast of Massawa.Authorities are investigating, UKMTO's advisory note added.
Two Vessels Report Attacks in the Red Sea off Yemen
Two crude oil tanker ships reported coming under attack in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday, although neither reported damage, maritime security agencies said.The attempted assaults on those vessels, identified as the Liberia-flagged Delta Atlantica and the Panama-flagged On Phoenix, bear the hallmarks of Iran-aligned Houthi militant attacks on international cargo shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks.
US Charges Three for Smuggling Iranian Weapons to Yemen's Houthis
A U.S. federal court has charged three men, including two Iranian brothers and a Pakistani national, for an attempt to smuggle Iranian weapons that would be used by Houthi rebels for attacks on maritime shipping.According to the court documents, Shahab Mir’kazei and Yunus Mir’kazei work for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while Muhammad Pahlawan, is a Pakistani citizen who allegedly worked for the Mir’kazei brothers as the captain of a dhow used as a smuggling vessel.Pahlawan allegedly worked with Shahab to prepare the dhow for multiple smuggling voyages…
Oil Tanker Attacked Four Times off Yemen
A crude oil tanker has reported four attacks off Yemen's port of Mokha during the last 24 hours, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said on Friday, and the vessel's manager said the ship and its crew were safe.Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.On Thursday, the captain of the Delta Blue tanker reported that…
US Hits Back After Houthis Target American Warships
U.S. military forces have struck at targets in Houthi-controlled Yemen in the past 24 hours, destroying two drones, a Houthi ground control station, and three anti-ship cruise missiles, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.Earlier, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it had attacked a container ship in the Red Sea and two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday.CENTCOM said in a statement on the U.S strikes: "These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S.
Houthis Target Containership, US Warships in Latest Red Sea Attacks
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Wednesday that it had targeted a ship identified as the Contship Ono in the Red Sea as well as two U.S. destroyers in the adjacent Gulf of Aden.The Houthi air force targeted U.S. destroyer Cole with a number of drones and the U.S.
Vessel Damaged in Houthi Attack Diverts to Djibouti
A container vessel that was hit by Houthi militants off Yemen on Saturday in the first such attack in two weeks, has arrived safely in Djibouti and the strike caused no injuries or water ingress, its Greek manager said on Monday.Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Sunday that they targeted the Liberia-flagged MV Groton in the Gulf of Aden with ballistic missiles, claiming their first attack on shipping lanes since Israel carried out a retaliatory airstrike in Hodeidah port on July 20.The MV Groton was hit by a missile 60 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen…
Houthis Claim First Attack on Shipping in Two Weeks
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Sunday that it targeted a Liberia-flagged container vessel in the Gulf of Aden, claiming its first attack on shipping lanes since Israel carried out a retaliatory airstrike in Hodeidah port on July 20.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that the MV Groton was attacked by ballistic missiles.British maritime agency UKMTO and British security firm Ambrey said on Saturday that the vessel was targeted by a missile 125 nautical miles east of Yemen's port of Aden.
Singapore-Flagged Container Ship Hit by Projectiles in Red Sea
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has informed that the Singapore-flagged container vessel LOBIVIA had been struck by unidentified projectiles while transiting the Gulf of Aden.The impact caused the fire onboard, which has been extinguished by the crew.According to MPA, all crew are accounted for and are safe and there are no Singaporeans onboard.LOBIVIA is moving under her own propulsion and has arrived at Berbera Port, Somalia to assess the damage and repairs needed.“MPA is in contact with the vessel manager to provide any assistance required.
IMO Council Steps Up Action on Transparency
The IMO Council met for its 132nd session from July 8 to 12, 2024, at IMO headquarters in London, and among the key outcomes of the meeting were the decisions to live-stream plenary sessions of the Council and make Council meeting documents accessible to the public.Decisions on advancing multilingualism, improving the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) and supporting the sustainability of the IMO Member State Audit Scheme were also taken.The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible…
Possible Red Sea Oil Spill After Houthi Attack
Liberia-flagged oil tanker Chios Lion was assessing damage and investigating a potential oil spill after it was attacked by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said on Tuesday.An unmanned watercraft inflicted minor damage to Chios Lion's port side on Monday as part of a swarm of attacks by the Houthis on the vessel and another ship sailing around 100 nautical miles northwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah."While originally headed south, following the attack the vessel turned around and back north out of the threat area to furt
Houthis Target Three Vessels, Including Oil Tanker
Yemen's Houthis targeted three vessels, including an oil tanker, in the Red and Mediterranean seas with ballistic missiles, drones and booby-trapped boats, they said on Monday.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the latest Houthi military operations were a response to the Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on Saturday, an attack that killed at least 90 Palestinians and wounded 300 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.In dozens of attacks since November…
Houthis Conduct Military Operations in Gulf of Aden, Israel's Eilat
Yemen's Houthis said on Sunday they had conducted two military operations, one in the Gulf of Aden and one in Eilat at the southern tip of Israel.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted the Israeli ship MSC UNIFIC in the Gulf of Aden with ballistic missiles and drones in addition to attacking military targets in Eilat with drones.The spokesperson said that the latest Houthi military operations came in response to the Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis on Saturday…
Merchant Vessel Reports Explosions Near Yemen
British security firm Ambrey said early on Friday that a merchant vessel reported two explosions about 21 nautical miles (39 km) west of Yemen's Mocha.One "missile" impacted the water and another exploded in the air, the vessel reported to Ambrey, adding that both explosions occurred within 0.5 nautical miles of the vessel."The vessel was withholding its automatic identification system transmissions at the time.
Maersk Vessel Targeted by Flying Object in Gulf of Aden
Shipping giant Maersk said one of its vessels, the Maersk Sentosa, reported being targeted by a flying object in the north of the Gulf of Aden early on Tuesday.Maersk told Reuters that no injuries to the crew or damage to the ship or cargo were reported.A spokesperson for the Copenhagen-based company said the ship was one of its U.S.-flagged vessels sailing for the subsidiary Maersk Line, Limited.The captain of an unnamed merchant ship reported an explosion close to the vessel some 180 nautical miles (333 km) east of Yemen's Nishtun…