Update (0820 EST): The involved tanker has been identified as Zodiac Maritime-owned tanker Central Park (IMO: 9725823) which is an Oil/Chemical Tanker that was built in 2015 (8 years ago) and is sailing under the flag of Liberia.
Her carrying capacity is 19998 t DWT and her current draught is reported to be 10.2 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 145 meters and her width is 24.2 meters.
At approximately 0644 EST, Houthi-linked Telegram pages began reporting a tanker seizure and attack off the coast of Yemen. By 0726 EST, the UK Maritime Trade Operations authority announced an incident was underway:
However, by 0739 EST, Barrons reported that a U.S. navy vessel was engaged in the incident. Their announcement reads below:
“A tanker linked to an Israel-affiliated company has been boarded off the coast of Yemen, the maritime security firm Ambrey said on Sunday following a series of incidents on the same shipping route.
Ambrey said that “US naval forces are engaged in the situation” after the incident involving the Central Park vessel owned and managed by a UK-based, Israel-linked company.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels had previously threatened to attack the tanker if it did not divert to the port of Hodeida, it said.
Communications from a US coalition warship had been intercepted warning the Central Park to disregard the messages, Ambrey added.
The boarding took place offshore from the Yemeni port city of Aden, with another vessel in the area reporting “an approach by eight persons on two skiffs wearing military uniforms”, Ambrey said.”
It is not currently clear if the unnamed U.S. vessel attempted to thwart the boarding or if any fires were exchanged.
This is developing.
