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The Houthis are at it again, this time striking an oil tanker in the Red Sea that was docked in Russia and bound for China.

The terrorist group hit the oil tanker with an anti-ship ballistic missile, which caused flooding and the ship lost propulsion.

According to CENTCOM, the crew were able to get the ship underway without assistance:

At approximately 1 a.m. (Sanaa time) May 18, Iranian-backed Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) into the Red Sea and struck M/T Wind, a Panamanian-flagged, Greek owned and operated oil tanker.

M/T Wind most recently docked in Russia and was bound for China. The impact of the ASBM caused flooding which resulted in the of loss propulsion and steering. A coalition vessel immediately responded to the distress call by M/T Wind, but no assistance was needed. The crew of M/T Wind was able to restore propulsion and steering, and no casualties were reported. M/T Wind resumed its course under its own power.

This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

According to Tanker Trackers, “Ironically, WIND (9252967) is a Dark Fleet tanker that not only we know very well from Venezuela, but was carrying Russian oil last night in the Red Sea.”

What is the Dark Fleet? Windward tells us:

The dark fleet refers to tankers that engage in dark activities, such as disabling their AIS, or using deceptive shipping practices – like GNSS manipulation, ID and location tampering – to transport crude oil, chemicals, and other wet cargo. The fleet is characterized by weak ownership structures and the use of multiple flags of convenience over short periods of time. The size of this fleet has fluctuated substantially with each new regulation, and even more so following the Russian oil ban and price caps.

Windward has identified approximately 1,100 dark fleet vessels. While the practice has been around for years, originating with trade from Iran and Venezuela, it has become a much bigger problem since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as Russia avoids sanctions and sells oil to its allies. According to estimates by CNN, more than 10% of large tankers are involved in this illegal practice, and the numbers are steadily growing.

I’m gonna guess that the Houthis got an earful over wounding this specific tanker, especially since China made some kind of agreement with Iran earlier this year about not hitting their ships.