Houthis' Missiles Hit India-Bound Oil Tanker in Red Sea Assault

Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility on Saturday for targeting the Andromeda Star oil tanker in the Red Sea with missiles, continuing their attacks on commercial vessels in support of Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict.

US Central Command confirmed that the Houthis, backed by Iran, fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen into the Red Sea, resulting in minor damage to the Andromeda Star. The tanker, engaged in trade linked to Russia, was sailing from Russia's Primorsk to India's Vadinar.

The vessel sustained damage, according to reports from the ship's master and British maritime security firm Ambrey.

While one missile landed near another vessel, the MV Maisha, it escaped damage, as per US Central Command's update on X, a social media platform.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea stated that the Panama-flagged Andromeda Star was British-owned, although shipping data suggests it was recently sold and is now owned by a company registered in Seychelles.

Since November, Houthi militants, aligned with Iran, have launched several drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden. These attacks have forced cargo ships to take longer and costlier routes around southern Africa. Concerns have been raised about the potential for the Israel-Hamas conflict to escalate and destabilize the Middle East.

The assault on the Andromeda Star follows a brief hiatus in the Houthis' targeting of ships associated with Israel, the United States, and Britain.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier departed the Red Sea via the Suez Canal on Friday after participating in a US-led coalition's efforts to safeguard commercial shipping.

On Friday, the Houthis also claimed to have downed an American MQ-9 drone in Yemen's Saada province.