Private security companies Ambrey and Dryad Global told The Associated Press that the ship was the Eagle Gibraltar, a bulk carrier flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. The US Army Central Command later acknowledged the attack.
Houthi rebels fired a missile at a US ship just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, less than a day after launching an anti-ship cruise missile at a US destroyer in the Red Sea.
The attack on the Gibraltar Eagle, later claimed by the Houthis, further escalates tensions in the Red Sea following American-led attacks on the rebels. The Houthis’ attacks have roiled global shipping amid Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting a crucial corridor that carries energy and cargo from Asia and the Middle East to the Suez Canal and then to connects Europe.
The United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors Middle Eastern waters, said Monday’s attack took place about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southeast of Aden. It said the ship’s captain reported that the port side of the ship was hit by a missile from above.
Private security companies Ambrey and Dryad Global told The Associated Press that the ship was the Eagle Gibraltar, a bulk carrier flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. The US Army Central Command later acknowledged the attack.
The ship reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey, Central Command said.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. General Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack in a recorded television speech broadcast on Monday evening.
The Yemeni armed forces consider all American and British ships and warships participating in the aggression against our country as hostile targets, he said.
The ship is owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping, a Stamford, Connecticut-based company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In a statement to the AP, the company acknowledged the strike and said it caused limited damage to a cargo hold, but that the ship is stable and leaving the area.
All seafarers on board the ship are confirmed to be unharmed, the company said. The ship is transporting a cargo of steel products. Eagle Bulk management is in close contact with all relevant authorities about this.
Satellite tracking data analyzed by the AP showed that the Eagle Gibraltar was headed toward the Suez Canal but quickly turned around at the time of the attack.
The Central Command said it had detected a separate ballistic missile launch against ships towards the southern Red Sea on Monday, although it failed in flight and hit land in Yemen.
The U.S. Maritime Administration, led by the Transportation Department, also issued a warning Monday saying there remains a high risk to commercial ships sailing near Yemen.
While the decision to proceed depends on individual ships and companies, it is recommended that U.S.-flagged and commercial vessels away from Yemen remain in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden until further notice, it said advice.
Sunday’s missile launch toward the U.S. warship also marked the first U.S.-acknowledged fire from the Houthis since America and allied countries began attacking the rebels on Friday after weeks of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthi are firing toward the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, Central Command said.
The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the US said.
An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iran-backed Houthi militant areas in Yemen towards USS Laboon, Central Command said. No injuries or damage were reported.”
The Houthis did not acknowledge that attack.
It was not clear at this time whether the US would retaliate for the latest attacks, although President Joe Biden has said he will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect our people and the free flow of international trade.
The first day of US-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and hit more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. The affected locations include weapons depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the US said.
The Houthis have yet to acknowledge the extent of the damage caused by the attacks, which they say killed five of their troops and injured six others.
US forces followed on Saturday with an attack on a Houthi radar site.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea, saying they wanted to avenge Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have often targeted ships with weak or no apparent ties to Israel, endangering shipping on a key global trade route.
Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referred to the increasing Houthi attacks on ships in a speech on Sunday. He said the sea has become a battlefield of missiles, drones and warships and blamed US attacks for escalating maritime tensions.
The most dangerous thing is what the Americans have done in the Red Sea: it will damage the safety of all maritime navigation, Nasrallah said.
While the Biden administration and its allies have tried for weeks to calm tensions in the Middle East and prevent a wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.
It will also affect shipping for Qatar, one of the world’s largest natural gas suppliers, in the Middle East. Three liquefied natural gas tankers recently loaded in Qatar and headed for the Suez Canal remain idling off the coast of Oman, while another tanker bound for Qatar from Europe remains idling off the coast of Saudi Arabia. QatarEnergy and government officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate detente with Iran and a ceasefire in Yemen.
The Saudi-led, US-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands.
The US military did not specifically say the fire was aimed at the Laboon, following a US pattern since the Houthi attacks began. However, American sailors have been awarded combat ribbons for their actions in the Red Sea, something only awarded to those who encounter active hostilities with an enemy force.
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