Maritime security sources say armed individuals are believed to have seized control of a chemical tanker named the Asana after boarding the vessel in the Gulf of Aden, off Yemen’s southern coastline, on Friday.
The small tanker, which did not have a confirmed flag, had the Somali port of Bosaso listed as its next destination, according to ship tracking data.
One maritime security source indicated that early assessments suggest the incident appears to be connected to Somali piracy, not to Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia.
The British navy agency UKMTO confirmed Friday that a vessel had been boarded by unauthorized individuals while traveling eastward through the Gulf of Aden, approximately 65 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Al Mukalla port.
British maritime risk management group Vanguard noted that many details remain unknown. “Details regarding the number of assailants, the circumstances of the boarding, and the status of the vessel and crew remain unclear,” the group stated.
An official with Greek maritime security company Diaplous confirmed that a South Korean warship had been dispatched to the scene.
British maritime security group Ambrey reported that the vessel sent out a distress call at approximately 6:20 a.m. GMT on Friday. The group added that the ship had no armed security team on board when the incident took place, and that the intruders are suspected to be part of a pirate action group.
Shipping databases list the vessel’s operator as Marshall Islands-based Exon Energy, which could not be reached for comment.
In a related development, sources told Reuters on Thursday that Iran has asked Yemen’s Houthis to be prepared to shut down the Red Sea oil route if the United States were to strike Iranian power infrastructure — a move that could pose a serious new threat to global energy supplies.
