A Greek bulk carrier was hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday, private shipping risk firm Ambrey said, a day after a similar attack by Houthi rebels on an American ship amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea.
• Also read: Washington claims to have seized Iranian missile parts intended for the Houthis
• Also read: US cargo ship hit by Houthi missile off Yemen
In recent weeks, Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have stepped up attacks in the Red Sea and adjacent waters on ships they suspect are linked to Israel, claiming they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians . The Islamist movement Hamas and Israel have been at war in Gaza for more than three months.
The attacks in this sea, where 12% of world trade passes, prompted the United States and the United Kingdom to attack rebels in Yemen on Friday and Saturday, who responded on Monday by firing a missile at an American cargo ship, causing no injuries to cause. even greater damage.
On Tuesday, the Maltese-flagged ship was “hit by a missile while crossing the southern Red Sea heading north,” Ambrey said, adding that the bulk carrier continued on its route. The attack has not been claimed at this time.
Britain's maritime safety agency UKMTO reported an “incident” northwest of the Yemeni city of Saleef, without giving details.
According to Ambrey, the bulk carrier belonging to a Greek company was heading to the Suez Canal. That ship and others belonging to the same fleet have been visiting Israel since Oct. 7, she said.
No injuries
A source in the Greek Navy Ministry, who contacted the company that owned the attacked ship on Tuesday, said it was the bulk carrier Zografia, which had 24 crew members on board.
“It suffered limited damage after the shock” and “remains in seaworthy condition,” assured the latter, confirming that the attack took place 76 miles northwest of Yemen (about 120 kilometers) and that there were no Greek sailors on board the ship No one was injured in the shooting.
The Zografia was en route from Vietnam to Israel and “damage assessment is being carried out in Suez,” the same source said.
The “dangerous escalation” in the Red Sea will affect the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) “like all other commercial cargoes,” Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed ben Abdulrahmane Al-Thani warned on Tuesday during the World Economic Forum in Davos, eastern Switzerland.
The Houthi attacks have forced many shipping companies to avoid the area and take a longer route around the tip of Africa, at the expense of higher transportation costs and longer delivery times.
“There are alternative routes, but these routes (…) are less efficient than the current route,” emphasized the Qatari prime minister, whose country is one of the largest LNG producers in the world.
American seizure
Bloomberg news agency reported on Monday that at least five Qatari-operated LNG ships en route to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa, were stranded off the coast of Oman .
And according to information published on Tuesday by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the oil company Shell will no longer allow its ships to sail through the Red Sea until further notice.
On Tuesday, the U.S. military said it had seized parts of Iranian-made missiles intended for Houthi rebels from a boat in the Arabian Sea east of Yemen. This is the first such seizure since Houthi attacks on merchant vessels began.
The Houthi movement is part of the Iran-founded “Axis of Resistance,” which brings together anti-Israel groups in the region, including Lebanon's Hezbollah and armed groups in Iraq and Syria.
Iran is a key supporter of Yemen's rebels and Israel's biggest enemy.