Delta Blue Tanker Faces Multiple Assaults Near Yemen’s Mokha Port

The Delta Blue crude oil tanker experienced four incidents in 24 hours off Yemen's Mokha port, including attacks by uncrewed vessels and missiles. The vessel, under Athens-based Delta Tankers management, is safe. The assaults are linked to Yemen's Houthi militants as part of the Israel-Hamas conflict, disrupting global trade routes.

The Delta Blue crude oil tanker reported four incidents in the last 24 hours off Yemen's port of Mokha, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency. The vessel and crew are safe, now en route to their next destination.

The latest incidents involved an attack by an uncrewed surface vessel and a missile strike near the ship, as per UKMTO. Additionally, on Thursday, the tanker's captain had reported that two small crafts approached and fired a rocket-propelled grenade, which detonated near the Liberia-flagged Delta Blue, located 45 nautical miles south of Mokha, UKMTO noted.

Following the grenade attack, another missile exploded close to the tanker hours later. Athens-based Delta Tankers manages the vessel, though the company has not yet commented on the matter. The assaults have been attributed to Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants, who have targeted international shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict. Such actions prompted U.S. and British retaliatory strikes and disrupted global trade, causing ship owners to reroute vessels, bypassing the Red Sea and Suez Canal in favor of the longer route around Africa's southern tip.