- Houthis claim missile attack on Liberian-flagged ship
- All crew safe, vessel diverted to nearby port
- Attack linked to recent Israeli and Iranian tensions
Yemen’s Houthi armed group claims to have targeted a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden, its first maritime action since Israel struck the port city of Hodeidah on July 20.
Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokeswoman, stated in a televised broadcast on Sunday that ballistic missiles struck the MV Groton.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and the British security firm Ambrey, the vessel was attacked by a missile on Saturday 125 nautical miles (230 km) east of Yemen’s port of Aden. Both stated that no water intrusion or oil leaks were seen.
The Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC), a multinational coalition supervised by the US Navy, said all crew members on board were safe, and “the vessel was reported diverting to a port nearby,
The Groton had left Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, destined for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Greek managers at Groton did not respond to a request for comment.
The attack is the first since an apparent pause following Israel’s attack on Hodeidah, which came a day after an Iranian-allied organisation fired a drone that struck Tel Aviv, Israel’s economic powerhouse.
“Don’t miss out! Grab your free shares of Webull UK today!”
JMIC stated that the boat “was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making recent port calls in Israel”.
The Houthis‘ resumption of attacks follows the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and a Hezbollah military commander in Beirut last week, raising new concerns about the battle escalating into a regional conflict.
Since November, the Houthis have initiated strikes on foreign shipping near Yemen in sympathy with Palestinians as Israel wages war on Gaza.
The rebels, who control much of Yemen’s densely populated north and west, including the capital, Sanaa, have hit more than 70 ships with missiles and drones, killing four sailors. They’ve seized one ship and sunk two. Other missiles and drones have been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or splashed down before reaching their intended objectives.
The bombings prompted US and British air strikes, disrupting global trade as ship owners rerouted boats away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to sail the longer route around Africa’s southern point.
