A Greek-flagged oil tanker is on fire and drifting crewless in the Red Sea after coming under attack by Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthis, in a sign of escalation after a brief pause on activities in the run-up to the latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks.
According to the Associated Press, citing British maritime authorities, the oil tanker is no longer under anyone's command, and came under attack by armed groups traveling on small vessels some 90 miles from the Yemeni port city of Hodeida. The vessel was also reportedly struck by missiles or drones.
"The vessel reports being not under command," the UKMTO said, likely meaning it lost all power. "No casualties reported."
The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Greek-flagged oil tanker, the Sounion, had 25 crew members and was traveling from Iraq to Cyprus, AP reported.
The Houthis have launched attacks on an estimated 80 vessels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The Houthi campaign is prompting shippers to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal and take the longer route around the Horn of Africa, which is set to add an additional 500,000 bpd of fuel consumption for 2024.
A potential restart of the Houthis' Red Sea campaign coincides with failing Gaza ceasefire talks currently underway in Doha, Qatar.
U.S. President Joe Biden has accused Hamas of backing away from a ceasefire deal over hostage swap elements, while Hamas accuses Biden of making misleading statements. Following the Democratic National Convention, Biden said a ceasefire deal was "still in play, but you can't predict", adding that "Israel says they can work it out... Hamas is now backing away," according to Israeli media.
In a Tuesday statement, Hamas said that Biden's claims "do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression", Xinhua news agency reported.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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