“Today there were four attacks on three different merchant vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea,” Centcom said. The Carney noticed a missile fired from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen that landed near the Bahamas-flagged freighter Unity Explorer. The ship later reported minor damage from another missile.
The cargo ship “Number 9”, which sails under the Panamanian flag, reported damage from a missile from Yemen, while the “Sophie II”, which also sails under the Panamanian flag, said it was also hit but did not suffer any significant damage.
Centcom said the attacks “posed a direct threat to international trade and maritime security.” “We also have every reason to believe that while these attacks are being carried out by the Houthis in Yemen, they are being carried out entirely by Iran be supported,” it continued. The US would “consider all appropriate measures in full coordination with its international allies and partners,” the military command announced.
The Houthi militia had previously claimed responsibility for attacks on the “Unity Explorer” and the “Number 9”. The Shiite militia said in online networks that it carried out an operation against “two Israeli ships” in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The ships were attacked with a missile and a drone after they rejected “warnings” from the Houthis.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean and is of great importance for global maritime trade, especially for the transport of petroleum. The Houthis said they would continue to target Israeli ships as long as “Israeli aggression against our brothers in the Gaza Strip does not stop.”
The Ambrey company, which is responsible for maritime security, had previously reported rocket fire on a British freighter flying the Bahamas flag. The missile hit the ship and the crew escaped to safety, it said in a statement. According to Ambrey, the ship belongs to a company owned by British citizen Dan David Ungar.
The British maritime authority UKMTO had reported “drone activity, including a possible explosion” near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and advised ships to exercise increased caution.
The Iran-backed Houthis see themselves as part of the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel. This also includes other Iranian-backed groups such as the radical Islamic Hamas and the Shiite Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Since the war between Israel and Hamas began in response to their brutal attack on Israeli territory, the Houthi militia has fired drones and rockets into Israel on several occasions.
Houthi fighters also captured the car freighter “Galaxy Leader” on November 19 and took its crew prisoner. According to maritime security firm Ambrey, the owner of the car carrier is Ray Car Carriers, whose parent company is owned by Israeli businessman Abraham “Rami” Ungar.
