- Home
- War in the Middle East
- US Warship, Commercial Vessels Attacked in Red Sea
©(Andrew P. HOLMES, AFP)
Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for attacking two ships off the Yemeni coast on Sunday, November 3. They asserted that the vessels, labeled as "Israeli," were targeted in connection to the conflict in Gaza. This incident potentially signifies an escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East associated with the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Sunday that they had attacked two ships off the Yemeni coast, adding that the "Israeli" vessels were targeted over the war in Gaza.
A US defense official told the media that Washington was "aware of reports" regarding attacks in the Red Sea, and hours earlier, a maritime security group said that a UK-owned ship had reportedly been hit by rocket fire.
In a statement posted on social media, the Houthis said that they carried out an "operation against two Israeli ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait," a strategic waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, targeting one with a "missile and the second ship with a drone.
"The Houthis identified the vessels as Unity Explorer and Number Nine, saying that the attack came after the two ships "rejected warning messages" from its forces.
The Houthis said that they would continue to target Israeli vessels "until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops.
"Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US defense official said, "we're aware of reports regarding attacks on the (US Navy's) USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available.
"Earlier on Sunday, maritime security firm Ambrey said, citing reports, that an unnamed Bahamas-flagged vessel was "struck by a rocket" while sailing south around 35 nautical miles off Yemen's western coast.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, run by Britain's Royal Navy, said that it had received "a report of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) activity including a potential explosion... originating from the direction of Yemen."
It advised vessels in the area to "exercise caution."
The latest incidents come amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding waters after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo vessel, the Galaxy Leader, last month.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/199907"]
Within days, two ballistic missiles were also launched from an area controlled by the Yemeni rebels, landing around 10 nautical miles from a US destroyer, the USS Mason, according to the Pentagon.
The spike in maritime incidents prompted G7 foreign ministers, at a meeting earlier this week, to urge the rebels to cease threats to international shipping and to release the Galaxy Leader.
In the latest apparent attack, Ambrey said that the targeted vessel — en route from the United States to Singapore — had transited the Suez Canal five days ago.
Ambrey said that the attacked vessel's ownership and management was linked to Dan David Ungar, a British citizen listed as an Israeli resident in Britain's main companies directory.
Khalil Wakim
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Sunday that they had attacked two ships off the Yemeni coast, adding that the "Israeli" vessels were targeted over the war in Gaza.
A US defense official told the media that Washington was "aware of reports" regarding attacks in the Red Sea, and hours earlier, a maritime security group said that a UK-owned ship had reportedly been hit by rocket fire.
In a statement posted on social media, the Houthis said that they carried out an "operation against two Israeli ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait," a strategic waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, targeting one with a "missile and the second ship with a drone.
"The Houthis identified the vessels as Unity Explorer and Number Nine, saying that the attack came after the two ships "rejected warning messages" from its forces.
The Houthis said that they would continue to target Israeli vessels "until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops.
"Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US defense official said, "we're aware of reports regarding attacks on the (US Navy's) USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available.
"Earlier on Sunday, maritime security firm Ambrey said, citing reports, that an unnamed Bahamas-flagged vessel was "struck by a rocket" while sailing south around 35 nautical miles off Yemen's western coast.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, run by Britain's Royal Navy, said that it had received "a report of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) activity including a potential explosion... originating from the direction of Yemen."
It advised vessels in the area to "exercise caution."
The latest incidents come amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding waters after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo vessel, the Galaxy Leader, last month.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/199907"]
Within days, two ballistic missiles were also launched from an area controlled by the Yemeni rebels, landing around 10 nautical miles from a US destroyer, the USS Mason, according to the Pentagon.
The spike in maritime incidents prompted G7 foreign ministers, at a meeting earlier this week, to urge the rebels to cease threats to international shipping and to release the Galaxy Leader.
In the latest apparent attack, Ambrey said that the targeted vessel — en route from the United States to Singapore — had transited the Suez Canal five days ago.
Ambrey said that the attacked vessel's ownership and management was linked to Dan David Ungar, a British citizen listed as an Israeli resident in Britain's main companies directory.
Khalil Wakim
Read more
Comments