Yemeni Houthis launched a drone attack on a Bulgarian cargo ship heading for the coast of Israel, after which the ship’s 18-member crew stopped communicating.
Militants also attacked the large container ship Maersk Gibraltar in the Gulf of Aden with a UAV missile. Thus, navigation in the Red Sea is becoming increasingly dangerous. Due to the worsening situation, the Danish company Maersk Tankers has issued a notice to its vessels to avoid operating in local waters. The threat from Yemeni Houthis is increasing the company’s insurance costs.
Meanwhile, European Union officials expressed their anger at the attacks, warning of their impact on the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. In a statement on Thursday, the EU strongly condemned the latest Houthi missile attacks, including the attack on the Norwegian tanker Strinda. It warned:
The numerous attacks originating from Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen threaten international navigation and maritime security, in grave contravention of international law.
According to the EU, Houthi interference in the rights and freedoms of navigation in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula, especially in the Red Sea, is “unacceptable.” It stated:
The EU reiterates its call on the Houthis to refrain from further threats and attacks to international shipping lanes and calls for the immediate release of the ‘Galaxy Leader’ vessel and its 25-member crew, illegally seized on November 19 from international waters in the southern Red Sea. The EU appeals on all states to refrain from facilitation or encouragement of the Houthis in their illegal activities. Attacks on international vessels undermine Yemen’s security, including food security, as most of the country’s food imports transit through the Red Sea. The EU also recalls that in this moment, more than ever before, enhanced international and regional cooperation are crucial to counter threats to peace and security in the region, and is coordinating with its partners to that end.
The Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea and launched drones and rockets aimed at Israel. In recent days, they have threatened to attack any ship they believe is heading to or from Israel.
A missile fired Thursday landed harmlessly in the water near the Maersk Gibraltar, a Hong Kong-flagged container ship travelling from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the US military’s Central Command said.
Later on Thursday, a spokesman for the Houthi armed forces claimed that the militia launched a drone strike on the Maersk Gibraltar vessel after its crew failed to respond to their call to surrender. The spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, also claimed that the ship was heading to Israel, but did not provide evidence to support the claim.
Maersk, one of the world’s largest shippers, commented on the attack. It said:
The crew and vessel are reported safe. The safety of our crew and vessel is our top priority and all possible security measures are being taken to ensure we remove them from harm’s way.
US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking said Thursday that the United States wants to build the “broadest possible” maritime coalition to protect ships in the Red Sea and make it clear to the Houthis that attacks will not be tolerated.
Washington intends to expand the existing international naval task force into “an international coalition that will put some resources into protecting freedom of navigation,” Lenderking said in an interview this week during a conference in Doha.
The current task force in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, known as Combined Task Force 153, is a coalition of 39 countries under the command of Vice Admiral Lenderking of the US Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain.
On Wednesday, two missiles fired from Houthi-controlled territory struck an Indian-made commercial jet fuel tanker near the key Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Also near the strait, a rocket fired by Houthis on Monday night hit a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea.
In November, Houthis seized an Israeli-linked transport ship in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. Militiamen are still holding the vessel near the port city of Hodeidah. In addition, a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean attacked a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire.
