Yemen-based Houthi militants struck the Ukrainian-owned and Polish-operated bulk cargo carrier Verbena in the Gulf of Aden, US Central Command (Centcom) said today, possibly the second such attack on ships this month.
The Palau-flagged Verbena was first struck by two Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles on 13 June, which resulted in damage and fires. The Houthis struck it again later with an anti-ship ballistic missile. The vessel most recently docked in Malaysia and was headed to Italy carrying wood construction material, according to Centcom.
This latest attack comes after a Houthi unmanned surface vessel struck the Greek-owned and operated vessel Tutor in the Red Sea on 12 June, which resulted in severe flooding and damage to the engine room. The Tutor most recently docked in Russia, according to Centcom. The bulk carrier was planned to arrive at Jordan's Aqaba port on 14 June, according to global trade analytics platform Kpler, with its last known cargo being corn.
Oil prices edged down despite continuing tensions in the Red Sea. The Ice front-month August Brent contract was at $82.42/bl at 02:43 GMT, down by 0.4pc from the previous settlement. The front-month July WTI crude contract was at $78.21/bl, down by around 0.5pc.