In a recent incident in the Red Sea, a tanker flying the Marshall Islands flag was struck by a missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels, causing a devastating fire onboard. However, the crew managed to extinguish the blaze after hours of battling the flames, according to authorities. The attack on the Marlin Luanda has further complicated the ongoing Red Sea crisis, exacerbating tensions between the Iranian-backed rebels and Israel due to the latter's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The tanker, which was carrying Russian-produced flammable oil known as naphtha, drew the attention of Moscow, as the conflict has so far been blamed on the United States. This latest incident occurred after US forces conducted a strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed at the Red Sea. The USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, had previously intercepted a Houthi missile targeting it. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the missile strike on the Marlin Luanda.

The Singapore-based trading firm Trafigura confirmed that the inferno on the Marlin Luanda has been fully extinguished, with all 27 crew members, consisting of 25 Indian nationals and two Sri Lankans, reported safe. The Indian navy, with the assistance of its guided missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam, played a significant role in battling the fire. Images released by the navy showed the fire raging on board, believed to have been fueled by the naphtha cargo.

The British-managed vessel was transporting Russian naphtha to Singapore, purchased at prices below the G7 sanctions caps imposed on Russia due to its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The environmental impact of the attack remains unclear.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack in a prerecorded statement, describing the Marlin Luanda as a "British oil ship" and vowing to continue such attacks. The rebels have been targeting ships in the Red Sea since November as a response to Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. However, they have been indiscriminate in their targeting, endangering maritime trade routes between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

The situation has escalated since the rebels threatened to target American and British ships. Earlier this week, two US-flagged ships carrying cargo for the US Defense and State departments came under attack by the Houthis, necessitating the intervention of a US Navy warship to intercept some of the projectiles. Concerns about the impact on global trade have prompted China, a major beneficiary of seaborne trade in the region, to call for calm.

While the US has sought China's support in pressuring Iran due to Beijing's significant purchases of Western-sanctioned Iranian oil, Russia has condemned the US and the UK for their strikes against the Houthis. Furthermore, Russia has engaged in discussions with the rebel group in Moscow in recent days.

In a separate incident, authorities reported an encounter in the Arabian Sea where armed individuals, equipped with assault rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade, were seen near a vessel. The onboard security team fired warning shots, leading to an exchange of fire before the assailants retreated. The incident is believed to have involved a small boat with Somali-style characteristics, potentially linked to the mounting Somali pirate activities, which have correspondingly risen alongside the escalating Houthi attacks.

As tensions persist in the region, the top commander of the US Navy in the Middle East has described the Houthi attacks as the most severe since the "Tanker War" of the 1980s. This period culminated in a naval battle and the accidental downing of an Iranian passenger jet by the US Navy in 1988, resulting in the loss of 290 lives.

The international community remains vigilant as the situation in the Red Sea continues to pose significant threats to maritime security and global trade. Efforts are underway to mitigate the impact of these attacks and establish a lasting resolution to the ongoing conflict.