- Houthis attacked two tankers Sept. 2
- Salvage efforts for the third tanker underway
The Houthi rebels in Yemen appear to be prioritizing attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea because their attack on a Greek tanker brought them political and media attention, a Yemen-based expert said during a Sept. 4 event, reports Platts.
Target on oil tankers
“It’s obviously a military priority for Houthis to target oil tanks,” Maged Al-Madhaji, chairperson and co-founder of the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies said. “They learned the trick that you can harm and twist the arm of the international community,” he said during an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Tehran is interested in a high global oil price and thus the Houthi attacks on oil tankers makes sense from Iran’s perspective, said Brenda Shaffer, an energy expert at the US Naval Postgraduate School. “Iran wants a high oil price so that the Biden-Harris administration will keep a leash on Israel preventing it from attacking Iran’s oil production and export facilities,” she added.
Washington has allowed the Houthi attacks to continue because it wants to accommodate Tehran, Shaffer said. “The Biden-Harris administration still hopes for a new deal with Iran,” she said.
Recent Houthi attacks
The Houthi rebels on Sept 2 attacked and damaged two ships: the Saudi-owned crude carrier Amjad and the Greece-based shuttle tanker Blue Lagoon 1.
The attacks were the first since Iran-backed Houthi rebels hit the Sounion on Aug. 21. The tanker caught fire two days later, risking an environmental disaster if the oil leaked. The Houthis have agreed to allow rescue ships to access the tanker, and salvage efforts are underway.
The Amjad is carrying about two million barrels of oil, almost twice the amount on the Sounion, US Central Command said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“US Central Command will continue to work with international partners and allies to protect commerce and mitigate potential impacts to the environment despite the irresponsible and careless actions of the Iranian-backed Houthis,” Central Command said.
On Sept. 2 and 3, US forces destroyed several Houthi missile systems in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The US has issued several rounds of sanctions seeking to block financing and weapons for the Houthi rebels.
Looking ahead, the US should develop a clear policy that backs the legitimate government in Yemen, Al-Madhaji said. The policy should work with a wide range of parties in the region to address the broader dynamics at play in Yemen.
Whenever Saudi Arabia makes its neighbors in the Iranian Peninsula worried, the neighbors start funding a party in Yemen, Al-Madhaji said. “It’s becoming a battlefield for others. It’s like moving sand, and until we deal with it properly, it will remain like that,” he said.
Right now, the US has no policy on Yemen, Al-Madhaji said. “The lack of a specific US policy is worse than having a bad policy,” he said.
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Source: Platts
