Cargo Ship Carrying Biodiesel Feedstock from Malaysia to Italy Attacked by Houthis for Planned Israel Stop

December 13, 2023

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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Yemen, Reuters reports that Houthis attacked a cargo ship that was heading to Italy from Malaysia where it loaded 15,000 metric tons of palm oil waste and residues. The feedstock is destined for Eni’s biorefineries but the Houthis attacked the vessel due to a planned stop in Israel to deliver crude oil. The Houthis have warned that they will attack any and all ships headed to Israeli ports until the Israeli government allows food and medical aid into the Gaza Strip. READ MORE

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UPDATE 9-Yemen's Houthis claim missile attack on Norwegian tanker in tense Middle East (Reuters/Microsoft Start)

Excerpt from Reuters/Microsoft Start: Owner says ship was headed to Italy with biofuel feedstock

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Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday they hit a Norwegian commercial tanker with a missile in their latest protest against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, underlining the risks of a conflict that has shaken the Middle East.

The Iran-aligned group attacked the tanker, the STRINDA, because it was delivering crude oil to an Israeli terminal and after its crew ignored all warnings, Houthi military spokesperson Yehia Sarea said in a statement.

But the tanker's owner, Norway's Mowinckel Chemical Tankers, said the vessel was headed to Italy with a cargo of biofuel feedstock, not crude oil. But it did acknowledge a tentative Israeli port call scheduled for January, details it had not offered in the immediate hours after the attack in the Red Sea.

"Upon the recommendation of our security advisors, it was decided to withhold this information until the vessel and her crew were in safe waters," the company said in a statement.

Following the attack, Israel’s military said it had deployed one of its most advanced warships, a Sa'ar 6 class corvette, in the Red Sea.

The U.S. Navy destroyer Mason responded to the STRINDA's distress calls and assisted the crew, which was grappling with a fire, the U.S. military said. The U.S. military said the STRINDA was struck by a land-based cruise missile fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen.

The Houthis have waded into the Israel-Hamas conflict - which has spread around the region since Oct. 7 - attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

On Saturday, they said they would target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

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The STRINDA had loaded vegetable oil and biofuels in Malaysia and was headed for Venice, data from shiptracking firm Kpler showed. Italian energy firm Eni confirmed the ship was carrying 15 thousand tons of residues and waste from vegetable oil processing destined for Eni's biorefineries in Italy.

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"There were no U.S. ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the (U.S. Navy destroyer) USS MASON responded to the M/T STRINDA's mayday call," the U.S. military's Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said in a statement posted on social media platform X.

The attack caused damage but no casualties, the U.S. military said in a statement.

The Houthi spokesman said that the group had managed to obstruct the passage of several ships in recent days, acting in support of the Palestinians.

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Saudi Arabia has asked the United States to show restraint in responding to the attacks. READ MORE

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Cargo Ship Carrying Biodiesel Feedstock from Malaysia to Italy Attacked by Houthis for Planned Israel Stop

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