Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels announced on Tuesday that they had launched missiles at two vessels in the Red Sea, resulting in damage to both ships. The Houthis have been actively targeting commercial vessels using drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November, citing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict with Israel in Gaza.
The group’s military spokesperson revealed that they had fired naval missiles at the Star Nasia and Morning Tide, identifying the Marshall Islands and Barbados-flagged ships, respectively, as American and British. The Star Nasia, owned by Greek company Star Bulk Carrier, suffered damage from an explosion at 1115 GMT. Fortunately, the crew escaped unharmed, though the exact cause of the explosion, whether it was a sea mine or rocket, remains unclear.
In a separate incident reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency and British maritime security firm Ambrey, an explosion occurred near a merchant vessel off Yemen’s port of Aden. Ambrey indicated that the southbound Greek-owned bulk carrier was targeted while passing through the Maritime Security Transit Corridor, approximately 53 nautical miles southwest of Aden, on its journey from the US to India.
Maritime monitoring service TankerTrackers.com noted that the vessel was transporting US coal to India. The incidents have raised international concerns, emphasizing the need for heightened maritime security in the region amid escalating tensions and the Houthi insurgency’s impact on vital shipping routes.
