Unauthorized tanker boarding near Yemen appears to be piracy, not Houthi attack

Armed assailants are believed to have boarded the chemical tanker Asana off the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden and are in control of the vessel, maritime security sources say.

The small tanker, which has no confirmed flag, had listed the Somali port of Bosaso as its next destination, ship tracking data shows.

Based on initial assessments, the incident appears to be related to Somali piracy rather than Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia, one of the maritime security sources says.

The vessel was boarded Tuesday by unauthorized personnel while transiting east in the Gulf of Aden, 65 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Al Mukalla port, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said earlier today.

“Details regarding the number of assailants, the circumstances of the boarding, and the status of the vessel and crew remain unclear,” British maritime risk management group Vanguard says.

A South Korean warship had been dispatched to the area, an official with Greek maritime security company Diaplous says.

The vessel issued a distress call and did not have an armed security team when the incident occurred, British maritime security group Ambrey says, adding that the assailants are suspected to be part of a pirate action group.

Iran has asked Yemen’s Houthis to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, sources told Reuters on Thursday, posing a potent new threat to global energy supplies.