Children walk past a billboard attacking ships on the day Yemen's Houthi forces attacked an American ship in the Red Sea on a street in Sanaa, Yemen, January 10, 2024.
Mohammed Hamoud | Getty Images
An oil tanker operated under contract by Trafigura was hit by a missile after transiting through the Red Sea on Friday, a company spokesman told CNBC in a statement.
The Marlin Luanda, a petroleum products tanker, was hit by the missile in the Gulf of Aden. Firefighting equipment on board was being used to extinguish a fire in one of the cargo tanks, the spokesman said.
“We remain in contact with the ship and are monitoring the situation carefully,” Trafigura said. “Military ships are traveling in the region to provide assistance.”
Houthi fighters claimed responsibility for the attack and described the ship as a “British oil ship.” Trafigura said the ship was flying the Marshall Islands flag.
The militants used “a series of appropriate naval missiles, the attack was direct and resulted in the burning of the ship,” Houthis military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement.
Houthi fighters in Yemen have been attacking merchant ships transiting the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians since November. The US and Britain launched a series of airstrikes against the militia on January 11 in an attempt to deter the Iranian-backed group.
Earlier Friday, Houthi fighters fired a ballistic missile at the U.S. naval destroyer Carney in the Gulf of Aden, according to U.S. Central Command. The rocket was launched from the Carney. No injuries or damage were reported, according to CENTCOM.
Several of the world's largest oil tanker companies suspended traffic to the Red Sea immediately after the United States and Britain began airstrikes against the Houthis earlier this month.
U.S. crude oil settled at $78.01 a barrel on Friday, capping its best week since September 1. Global Brent benchmark traded at $83.55 a barrel, recording its best week since October 13.
The March West Texas Intermediate contract was last up 74 cents, or 0.96%, at $78.10 a barrel. The Brent March contract traded at $83.73 a barrel, up $1.30, or 1.58%.
Oil futures have not reacted dramatically to the escalating tensions in the Middle East as there has been no major supply disruption. Analysts have warned that a direct confrontation between the US and Iran could drive prices significantly higher.
Robert Thummel, portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital, told CNBC on Thursday that the market is not sufficiently pricing geopolitical risk into crude oil prices. Thummel said WTI should actually be trading at $85 right now given tensions in the Middle East.