Houthis strike back following Israel’s port bombings over the weekend

Two ships have been targeted by the Houthis today, the first confirmed strikes on merchant shipping in the Red Sea since the start of September.

The Panama-flagged tanker Cordelia Moon suezmax became the first ship to be targeted by the Houthis in 29 days early this morning. 

An uncrewed surface vessel (USV) slammed into the ship some 64 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah in Yemen, a port city that was hit hard by the Israeli military over the weekend. 

The vessel’s number six port ballast tank has been punctured and the ship is taking on water. The crew are reported to be safe. 

Another ship, the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned 76,800 dwt bulk carrier Minoan Courage, has been targeted some 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah with initial reports suggesting it has been hit by a missile. 

The Israeli military said on Sunday that dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, attacked power plants and terminal facilities at Hodeidah port.