Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released a video claiming they carried out an attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea.
The video shows a small boat approaching and then colliding with the ship’s left side, causing a massive explosion.
BBC verify confirmed that the tanker seen in the video was the CHIOS Lion by comparing the video with known images of the ship.
Ship tracking data shows that the CHIOS Lion departed from the Russian port of Tuapse on July 2 and entered the Red Sea on July 11.
There is currently no tracking data on the tanker’s journey across the Red Sea, but the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the time and location of the July 15 attack were consistent with the speed and direction of the tanker’s travel.
Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in November, Houthi rebels have launched dozens of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis consider Israel an enemy and initially said they were attacking ships with ties to or to Israel. However, many of the vessels have no connection to Israel.
More recently, the Houthis have targeted ships associated with British or American shipowners or operators following British or American attacks on Houthi positions.
Major shipping lines have stopped using the Red Sea, through which nearly 15% of global seaborne trade normally passes, in favor of longer routes around southern Africa.
