Houthi missiles hit bulk carrier in Red Sea: US Centcom

Yemen-based Houthi militants launched five anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea on 28 May, with three striking the Greek-owned and operated bulk carrier Laax, said US Central Command (Centcom).

But the Marshall Islands-flagged Laax is continuing its voyage with no injuries reported. The vessel had unloaded about 60,000t of soybean meal at the Turkish port of Ceyhan on 21 May and is now ballasting to Imam Khomeini port in Iran, according to data from global trade and analytics platform Kpler.

Centcom forces have also destroyed more than 10 uncrewed aerial systems over the Red Sea in the past week, after determining that they presented "an imminent threat to merchant vessels in the region". The systems were launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. The Houthis have also launched five other anti-ship ballistic missiles since 18 May when a Houthi missile hit an oil tanker.

Oil prices are rising as the conflict in the Middle East widens. An Egyptian soldier was killed in a clash with Israeli forces at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt earlier this week. The Egyptian Armed Forces are investigating the incident, spokesperson Ghareeb Abdel Hafez said on 27 May. "A dialogue is taking place with the Egyptian side," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The IDF said on 7 May that it is conducting "targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in southern Gaza". Israel's war cabinet "unanimously decided" that Israel would continue its operation in Rafah to apply military pressure on Gaza-based Hamas to advance the release of Israeli hostages, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The Ice front-month July Brent contract was at $84.40/bl at 03:40am GMT, up by 0.2pc from the previous settlement and by about 1.6pc from 27 May. The front-month July WTI crude contract was at $80.11/bl, up by around 0.4pc from the previous settlement and by 3pc from 27 May.

By Tng Yong Li and Reena Nathan