IMO Secretary-General Visits Yemen
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has completed a series of visits to countries in the Red Sea area to discuss the current situation and express support for freedom of navigation as well as concern for innocent seafarers, particularly those who remain captive with the MV Galaxy Leader.Yemen’s Houthis seized the roro Galaxy Leader and its 25 seafarers in the Red Sea on November 19, 2023.Dominguez said: “The continuous attacks on ships and seafarers in the Red Sea are endangering innocent human lives, affecting the entire shipping industry and therefore the global economy.
Tanker Vessel Reported Attack off Yemen's Hodeidah
Oil products tanker Sounion reported being attacked by two small boats and struck by three projectiles in the Red Sea off Yemen on Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.There were no casualties reported among the 25 crew members onboard, but the Greek-flagged vessel has lost the ability to maneuver, UKMTO added.The vessel reported being approached by two small craft with approximately 15 people onboard and said there was a brief exchange of small arms fire…
Oil Rises after Houthi Attack on Ship
Oil rose on Tuesday as an attack by the Iran-aligned Houthis on a chemical tanker escalated geopolitical tension in the Middle East, though concerns over excess supply and slowing demand kept a lid on gains.A cruise missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen struck a commercial chemical tanker, causing a fire and damage but no casualties in the latest such attack to heighten safety risks for tankers in vital shipping lanes.Brent crude futures LCOc1 for February rose 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $76.24 a barrel by 0915 GMT, while U.S.
IMO Asks States for Equipment for FSO Safer Oil Spill Contingency Plan
The IMO is urging Member States to contribute equipment to help UN-led efforts to prevent a possible catastrophic oil spill from the FSO Safer, an ageing and rapidly decaying floating storage offshore (FSO) unit moored 4.8 nautical miles off the Red Sea coast of Yemen.A converted super tanker, the FSO Safer contains an estimated 150,000 metric tonnes (approximately 1.1 million barrels) of crude oil, four times the amount spilled during the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989. It has been moored at Ras Isa since 1988 where it had been receiving…
Houthis Seize 'Hostile' Vessel off Yemen; Saudis Claim Ship Carried Med Equipment
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls most of northern Yemen hijacked a United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo vessel engaged in "hostile acts" but which the Saudis said was carrying hospital equipment.The ship was heading to the Saudi port of Jizan, just north of Yemen, from the Yemeni Red Sea island of Socotra when it was attacked just before midnight on Sunday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, quoting coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki.Saudi Arabia…
Saudi-led Coalition Destroys Explosive-laden Drone, Boat Launched by Yemen's Houthis
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone at Saudi Arabia's Abha international airport and a remotely controlled explosive-laden boat in the south of the Red Sea both launched by Iran-aligned Houthis on Sunday, Saudi state news agency (SPA) reported.As a result of intercepting the drone, some splinters fell on the airport, causing no injuries or damage, coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said, according to SPA.Air traffic at the airport was proceeding as normal, state-run Al Ekhbariya TV said, citing its reporter.Al-Malki said the expl
