An oil tanker is on fire in the Gulf of Aden, its operator says, after Houthis said they hit it with a missile.

US officials told the BBC’s US partner CBS the tanker was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile and a naval ship was responding to its distress signal.

There were no injuries reported, the US officials said.

Houthi military spokesman Yaha Sarea said the group used “a number of appropriate naval missiles” and Friday’s strike was “direct”.

  • Hubi@feddit.de
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    10 months ago

    Since November, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels travelling through the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza

    Is that really the whole reason behind the recent attacks on ships? Seems like it’s not serving any purpose aside from risking a direct military intervention in Yemen.

    • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      10 months ago

      The Houthi’s stated purpose is to attack the ships of any nation sending support to Israel (most of which are western or American aligned) as a show of force not specifically for Palestine, but anti Israel and pro Islam/hamas. At one point IIRC they said they were only attacking ships en route to Israel proper but that’s clearly long gone.

      Realistically it’s Iran, maybe Russia, and likely SA providing the resources and “gentle direction” to a puppet because they want, and NEED, the oil markets to go haywire again. They’re suddenly missing that sweet hit of wartime profiteering from insane price gouging, it’s like heroin to their flailing economies.

      • ultranaut@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Saudi Arabia seems the least likely to be puppeteering the launch of Iranian anti-ship missiles from Houthi territory of those three countries. There’s easier ways for them to raise oil prices, and they aren’t exactly allies with the Houthis.

        • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          10 months ago

          Are they the least likely, though? SA-loaded cargos on Chinese and other non-Western ships are being explicitly allowed by the Houthis, despite many those cargoes being destined for Europe and America (the countries being tagged due to their support of Israel). SA has even come out as saying they have zero shipping restraints currently because the Houthis are effectively supporting them.

          They stand to gain a huge profit from having their competitor’s oil flows through the only optimal shipping channel restricted. So even if they are not directly selling weapons or supplies to the Houthis, they’re sure as shit facilitating it by, at a minimum, turning a blind eye to however the Houthis are getting said supplies.

      • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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        10 months ago

        At one point IIRC they said they were only attacking ships en route to Israel proper but that’s clearly long gone.

        They did at the start. Ships attacked all had israeli ownership or stops planned in israel. Then America and Britain decided to put together a cool group with a cool name to bomb Yemen with and now British and American ships are barred from passing too so that’s going great.

        Realistically it’s Iran, maybe Russia, and likely SA providing the resources and “gentle direction” to a puppet because they want, and NEED, the oil markets to go haywire again. They’re suddenly missing that sweet hit of wartime profiteering from insane price gouging, it’s like heroin to their economies.

        You think there’s a genocide going on somewhere maybe? Or is Iran just making that one up too?

        • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          10 months ago

          You think there’s a genocide going on somewhere maybe? Or is Iran just making that one up too?

          I didn’t say that there’s not a genocide, thanks for putting those words in my mouth for me. Fuck Netanyahu. I’m saying that the region’s usual suspects aren’t letting a good crisis go to waste to line their own pockets by promoting and funding further escalation. Iran et al. thrive on the dark markets, and the dark markets thrive during times of instability.

        • ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          If it was really about stopping genocide then the anti Ukrainian Russians and the anti Uygur Chinese wouldn’t be allowed through either.

            • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              By striking a Marshall Islands ship going from Greece to Singapore, owned by an MNC.

              Are you really going to try and sell that as somehow stopping Israel?

              • NoneOfUrBusiness@kbin.social
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                10 months ago

                I’m not generally saying the Houthis actions are 100% correct, they absolutely should be exercising more discretion, but this is a British oil tanker, and British and American ships have been on the no-go list since they started bombing Yemen. Again they should be exercising more discretion, but they absolutely have the right to tell the UK to fuck off.

              • kurwa@lemmy.world
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                10 months ago

                What does that even mean? Palestine has been occupied for 70 years. And these recent events have greatly increased death and destruction with Gaza / the Palestinian population.

                Of course people would care more about people in their region.

              • deft@lemmy.wtf
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                10 months ago

                shut up at this level everything is money. anything else is a tool to win and get money.

                if it’s about race that’s simply convenient for those who actually can change it. they want money

          • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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            10 months ago

            Israel has killed 2.5 times as many civilians as Russia in 1/4 the time on a population 25 times smaller.

            Israel is like 10000% more genocidal than Russia.

            And no Russia is not good, and Ukraine has the right to defend itself.

    • Meowoem@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      Pretty sure that’s what they want, destabilise the region with big wars and their brand of hate can have the victory it’s currently having in Afghanistan and Iran where girls can’t go to school and where they get beaten to death for showing their hair.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Oh fuck off there was coverage literally the second they started bombing hospitals, evacuation routes, and safe zones. This isn’t doing anything but taking up air in the coverage that could be detailing more Israeli crimes.

        • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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          10 months ago

          Yeah coverage. Demonstrations. Western governments don’t care until they are losing money.

          It’s like this place is filled with people that thought Jim Crow laws got ended because Rosa Parker sat on the back of a bus and MLK gave a cool speech.

          • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            There were demonstrations too. Western governments don’t give a shit about losing money. Look at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They care about getting re-elected. And right now the Houthis are giving them a bloody rag to wave at the electorate.

            The only way this is helping is if you want to see the entire global economy crash.

            • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
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              10 months ago

              Iraq was one of the least popular wars. America invaded Iraq to steal their oil. Because that made money. They didn’t care about any reelecton.

              Any time farmers start blocking highways or people go on mass strike the government changes their tone.

              Monetary shipping blocks like the Houthi’s are doing right now are probably the least violent and most effective way to go about it. Their alternative is blowing up Saudi’s oil and start a mass regional war.

              • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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                10 months ago

                This isn’t a protest it’s piracy. And this isn’t a commuter highway it’s the logistical route for transferring goods from Asia to Europe.

                Nobody is listening to the people trying to take the entire world hostage. You have the shittiest take on piracy I’ve ever seen.

                  • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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                    10 months ago

                    I must have missed the part where the ANC attempted to block the Suez Canal. In fact it was the reverse. The world boycotted the South African Apartheid regime.

                    You know how you don’t get the world to boycott Israel? By demanding it with terrorism.