Trafigura, a commodities trading firm, announced that it is reviewing the safety of future journeys through the Red Sea following an incident where a tanker was set ablaze by an attack from the Houthi group in Yemen.
The fire on the tanker Marlin Luanda, which was extinguished by firefighters, occurred after the vessel was struck by a Houthi missile. In response, the U.S. Navy along with other ships offered assistance.
Trafigura stated, “At this moment, no ships under Trafigura’s operation are navigating through the Gulf of Aden, and we are meticulously evaluating the risks associated with any future voyage, prioritizing the safety and security of our crew, in collaboration with shipowners and clients.”
In light of the attacks by the Houthi faction, which is supported by Iran, several shipping firms have halted their Red Sea transits, opting instead for longer and more expensive routes around Africa.
These attacks, which started on November 19 as a retaliation against Israeli military actions in Gaza, have mainly targeted container ships in the Red Sea, although many fuel tankers continue to use this route. QatarEnergy, a major LNG exporter, has already redirected its tankers away from the Red Sea due to security concerns.
Trafigura reported that the Marlin Luanda’s crew spent several hours extinguishing a fire in a cargo tank on the ship’s starboard side early on Saturday, with the crew eventually being declared safe and the vessel proceeding towards a secure port. The firefighting efforts received support from the naval forces of India, the U.S., and France.
After the Marlin Luanda, flying the Marshall Islands flag, issued a distress signal on Friday reporting damage, the USS Carney and other coalition vessels provided aid, as stated by the U.S. Central Command. In response to the distress call, the Indian Navy dispatched the INS Visakhapatnam, a guided missile destroyer, to assist the tanker, which had 22 Indian and one Bangladeshi crew member.
The tanker was transporting Russian naphtha acquired below the G7 sanctions price cap, as per Trafigura. Following the Houthi assaults on shipping, the U.S. and UK military have launched numerous retaliatory strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen.
After the incident involving the Marlin Luanda, the U.S. military neutralized a Houthi missile poised for launch into the Red Sea, deeming it an immediate threat to commercial and naval vessels in the area.
Houthi-run Al-Masira TV reported that the U.S. and UK conducted airstrikes targeting the Ras Issa port, Yemen’s primary oil export terminal, though it remains uncertain if this was the strike mentioned by Central Command. The U.S. Fifth Fleet has yet to respond to inquiries for comments.
