Houthi operatives placed explosives on a tanker and detonated them, risking a catastrophic oil spill in the Red Sea

In the video, Houthi rebels can be seen walking across the vessel with fires in the background. One shot shows an operative preparing what appears to be an explosive charge before zooming out to show several blasts across the ship at once.

It was not clear when the footage was taken, and Business Insider could not independently verify the details.

The Houthis repeatedly claim that their ongoing attacks on merchant vessels are in support of Palestinians and protest of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, although US officials frequently push back on this claim.

“These are simply reckless acts of terrorism which continue to destabilize global and regional commerce, put the lives of innocent civilian mariners at risk, and imperil the vibrant maritime ecosystem in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Houthis own backyard,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters on Tuesday.

The US State Department has said that Houthi attacks on the Sounion threaten to spill 1 million barrels of oil into the Red Sea, an amount four times the size of the notorious 1989 Exxon Valdez incident, which was known as one of the worst environmental disasters in American history.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have consistently launched missiles and drones into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to strike vessels transiting key merchant shipping lanes.

The US Navy and its European counterparts have stationed warships in the region to help facilitate safe passage for commercial vessels, as well as deter other hostile actors. However, the American naval presence in the Red Sea has scaled down in recent weeks.