Yemen's Houthis claim to have 'targeted British oil tanker' in the Red Sea in retaliation to UK strikes amid Gaza conflict - as fears mount that Israel's war with Hamas could spread

Yemeni armed forces target oil tanker Marlin Luanda, claiming it is 'British'Commodities firm Trafigura confirms fire on board is being tackled by the crew The ship flies under the flag of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific 

Yemen’s Houthi rebels say they have carried out an attack on what they have called a ‘British oil tanker’ in the Gulf of Aden – amid mounting fears that Israel’s war against Hamas following the October 7 attacks could consume more of the Middle East.

Yahya Sare’e, the official spokesperson for the Yemeni armed forces, said it had targeted the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, which it labelled a ‘British oil ship’, with a ‘number of appropriate naval missiles’. It was carrying Russian fuel.

But shipping records show the vessel flies under the flag of the Marshall Islands, a group of Pacific islands north-east of Papua New Guinea. MailOnline understands that the ship is also owned by a Bermuda-based firm.

Authorities in the area are responding to the incident. Trafigura, the commodities supply firm that chartered the ship, says it is in contact with the crew. Trafigura itself is based in Singapore but has a ‘regional hub’ in London.

A spokesperson told MailOnline that fire-fighting equipment was being used to control the blaze, which was caused in one cargo tank on the starboard side of the vessel.

Houthi rebels claim to have struck the Marlin Luanda oil tanker, which they labelled a ‘British oil ship’ (file picture)

Yahya Sare’e, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, claimed that the Marlin Luanda was a ‘British oil ship’. But records show the boat is registered in the Marshall Islands

The Houthis have claimed the Marlin Luanda is ‘British’, in this statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, despite records showing the boat is flying under a foreign flag

UK Maritime Trade Operations, a Royal Navy initiative monitoring maritime traffic in the Middle East, says the incident happened in the Gulf of Aden

Houthi rebels have been targeting ships that they claim are affiliated with Israel in a show of solidarity with Palestine; intelligence bodies say they are sometimes acting on old information

A Trafigura spokesperson said: ‘Earlier on 26 January, the Marlin Luanda, a petroleum products tanker vessel operated on behalf of Trafigura, was struck by a missile as it transited the Red Sea.

‘Firefighting equipment on board is being deployed to suppress and control the fire caused in one cargo tank on the starboard side. The safety of the crew is our foremost priority.

‘We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully. Military ships in the region are underway to provide assistance.’

MailOnline understands the Marlin Luanda is leased by Singapore firm Trafigura from its owners, a group of investors who own the vessel through a company registered in the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda.

Some management services tied to the lease are provided by UK-based Oceonix Services Ltd, which is registered at an address in London, according to Companies House records.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Houthi spokesperson Sare’e said: ‘Yemeni naval forces carried out a targeting operation on the British oil ship Marlin Luanda in the Gulf of Aden, using a number of appropriate naval missiles, the strike was direct, and resulted the burning of the vessel.

‘Yemeni Armed Forces persist with their military operations: enforcing a blockade on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian seas until a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza , and food and medicine are allowed in to the besieged Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

‘The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they are taking all military procedures within the right to defend dear Yemen and in confirmation of the continuas (sic) practical solidarity with the Palestinian people.’

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a Royal Navy capability operating in the region, said: ‘UKMTO has received a report of an incident 60NM (nautical miles) South East of Aden, Yemen.

‘A Merchant Vessel has been struck by a missile and remains on fire. Coalition Warships are in attendance and supporting the vessel. All crew are reported safe. 

‘Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.’

UKMTO is a Royal Navy initiative that monitors shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea in order to support the maritime industry.

It does not solely monitor activity pertaining to British ships, and its alert makes no mention of the affiliation of the ship attacked in the Gulf of Aden.

A U.S. military official confirmed to AP the vessel was struck by a single anti-ship ballistic missile fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen, damaging the ship. The official said there were no known injuries.

The Marlin Luanda last made port in Egypt after travelling around the top of Africa from Morocco and transferring through the Suez Canal. Its ultimate destination was Singapore and it was carrying Russian fuel, reports Reuters.

The UK Government has said Britain and its allies ‘reserve the right to respond appropriately’.

A spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of reports that the M/V Marlin Luanda, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, has sustained damage from attack in the Gulf of Aden. Current reports suggest no casualties and nearby coalition vessels are on the scene.

‘We have been clear that any attacks on commercial shipping are completely unacceptable and that the UK and our allies reserve the right to respond appropriately.’

Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft have conducted precision strike operations against Houthi military targets in response to further attacks on shipping in the Red Sea

A fighter jet takes off from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower on January 12 as the US launches airstrikes against Houthi targets

Footage shows flames erupting amid a major bombardment of Yemen by UK and US forces on January 11

Maritime Executive reports that the Marlin Luanda earlier reported an explosion in the air approximately 200 to 300 meters above the waterline of another tanker, the Panama-flagged Achilles.

The rebels also launched a missile Friday at a U.S. warship patrolling the Gulf of Aden, forcing it to shoot down the projectile.

The attack on the destroyer USS Carney marked a further escalation in the biggest confrontation at sea the U.S. Navy has seen in the Middle East in decades.

The Houthis have been attacking ships that they believe are tied to Israel, in a campaign of what they say is solidarity with the Palestinian people amid Israel’s war with Hamas.

But EURONAVFOR, the EU’s maritime security operation in North Africa, has previously cautioned that the Houthis appear to have been attacking a broader array of ships, possibly acting on out of date intelligence.

It previously said: ‘(The Houthis) might be capitalizing on outdated information regarding ship ownership in certain instances.’

In return, UK and US jets have carried out precision strikes on Houthi targets in a bid to suppress further assaults on the vital global trade route.

Earlier on Friday, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: ‘We continue to call on [the Houthis] to step back from such action. We’re clear that this is illegal and unacceptable.’

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron is currently finishing a trip to the Middle East, in a diplomatic bid to reduce tensions as the Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues.

The attacks on ships are only adding to fears that Israel’s ceaseless, months-long war against Hamas following the October 7 attacks will fuel a wider Middle East conflict.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials have asked their counterparts in Iran to help rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea or risk harming business relations with Beijing.

The Reuters news agency reports that meetings between China and Iran have seen the subject of the Houthis raised several times amid concerns that the attacks on ships could hamper Chinese trade.

‘Basically, China says: ‘If our interests are harmed in any way, it will impact our business with Tehran. So tell the Houthis to show restraint’,’ said one Iranian official briefed on the talks, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The attacks are said to have raised the cost of shipping and insurance in the Red Sea, a vital trade route linking Asia and Europe. The Marlin Luanda itself was heading for Singapore, in south-east Asia.

Some vessels are reported to have re-routed around the southern tip of Africa in order to reach the vital transatlantic shipping port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, adding days and additional expense to their journeys in the name of security.

Global shipping firm Maersk said earlier this month it would redirect vessels away from the Red Sea for the foreseeable future.

MailOnline has contacted the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office and the Ministry of Defence for comment.