3 weeks ago
Navy Warships Escort Oil Tankers Through Bab-el-Mandeb Amid Red Sea Threats
Two oil-carrying ships, the MT Compass and MT Thalata, needed to travel through a narrow and dangerous sea passage called the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
This passage is one of the world's most important shipping routes because it connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The Indian Navy sent two warships, INS Trishul and INS Aditya, to sail right alongside the oil tankers to keep them safe.
A naval helicopter flew above to watch the operation as well.
The passage is dangerous because rebels called Houthis might attack ships.
Recently, an Indian ship was hit by a projectile and sank near Yemen, though all 14 crew members were safely rescued.
The Indian Navy is also worried after a crisis at another route, the Strait of Hormuz.
Because of that crisis, Saudi Arabia started sending oil to India through Bab-el-Mandeb.
So the Navy decided to guard the oil tankers through the risky waters to make sure the oil reaches its destination safely.
Indian Navy warships INS Trishul and INS Aditya escorted crude oil tankers MT Compass and MT Thalata through the high-risk area near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait on August 9-10, 2026.
The escort deployment comes amid heightened security concerns in the Red Sea following the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, remains vulnerable to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
During the Strait of Hormuz crisis amid the US-Iran war, Saudi Arabia used the Bab-el-Mandeb route to transport oil to India.
The deployment follows the August 4 sinking of the Indian-flagged vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya, struck by an unprovoked projectile about 13 nautical miles south of Hodeidah, Yemen; all 14 crew members were rescued by Yemeni forces.
- Who
- The Indian Navy, with warships INS Trishul and INS Aditya escorting crude oil tankers MT Compass and MT Thalata; Houthi rebels pose the threat.
- What
- Indian Navy warships escorted crude oil tankers through the high-risk area near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
- Where
- Near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden; the preceding vessel attack occurred south of Hodeidah, Yemen.
- When
- August 9-10, 2026.
- Why
- To protect commercial shipping amid heightened Red Sea security concerns, following the Strait of Hormuz crisis and attacks by Houthi rebels, including an August 4 attack on an Indian-flagged vessel.
Key facts
- Escorting force
- Indian Navy
- Warships involved
- INS Trishul and INS Aditya
- Escorted vessels
- MT Compass and MT Thalata
- Cargo
- Crude oil
- Operation dates
- August 9-10, 2026
- Route
- Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden
- Threat
- Attacks by Houthi rebels and piracy
- Recent incident
- MSV Faize Noore Oliya sank on August 4 south of Hodeidah, Yemen; all 14 crew (13 Indians, 1 Yemeni) rescued by Yemeni forces
Sources
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