Vessel Sinks After Alleged Houthi Attack Off Yemen

---

Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--British maritime authorities said it appears that a vessel moving through the Red Sea has sunk after it was allegedly attacked by the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office said Tuesday that it received initial reports that the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned M/V Tutor was hit twice off Yemen and was evacuated after the crew master reported the vessel was taking on water.

In its latest update on the situation, UKMTO said the Tutor likely had sunk.

"Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the last reported location," the UKMTO said.

Maritime security group Dryad Global said the Tutor was loaded at the Russian port of Ust-Luga, discharging its cargo last week in Egypt.

The owner of a salvage vessel told the Reuters news service on Wednesday that Tutor indeed had sunk. The Belize-flagged Rumymar was believed lost after taking on water days after an alleged Houthi attack in March.

Various media reports indicated a Philippines crew member, initially reported as missing, had died as a result of the attack.

The Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated M/V Verbana was hit by two cruise missiles off Yemen, which resulted in a medical evacuation of one civilian mariner, Dryad added.

"The unlit ship is now drifting 30 nautical miles northeast of Djibouti, still on fire and sinking," Dryad Global said.

Western powers have been patrolling the region since the attacks started shortly after the Palestinian militant group Hamas stormed Israel in October, triggering a protracted conflict that threatens to upend security across the Middle East.

The Houthi rebel group is supported by Iran, which backs Hamas and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. On Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it destroyed eight "Iranian-backed" drones in the Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

"It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region," CENTCOM said. "These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels."

According to Dryad, the U.S.-led military effort off Yemen has so far failed to deter the Houthis from attacking marine traffic in the Red Sea. Ship traffic in the area has been down by more than half since the attacks began last year.

"Since the attacks began in November 2023, the U.S. Navy has spent approximately $1 billion on munitions to defend the Red Sea, conducting over 450 strikes and intercepting more than 200 drones and missiles," Dryad's report read. "U.S. officials are concerned that the conflict will be unsustainable for the defense industrial base, which is already overburdened with demands for weapons from Ukraine and Israel."

The Arleigh-Burke class USS Cole was hit by a suicide attack off Yemen in October 2000, leaving 17 U.S. sailors dead and 39 others injured.

Maritime traffic has long since adjusted to the regional conflict, rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope off the coast of South Africa. Shipping giant Maersk (Copenhagen, Denmark) said in March that it was rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope for the foreseeable future to avoid conflict in the Red Sea, adding that it was using 40% more fuel per journey because of the situation.

The onset of the attacks triggered something of a geopolitical risk premium for the price of oil earlier this year. While the price for Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, moved toward $90 per barrel in March, Ronan Graham, an energy security analyst for the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned that "supply disruptions can still cause significant economic harm and have a substantial negative impact on people's lives."

Brent was trading in the mid-$85 range on Wednesday.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).