In a critical maritime intervention, the U.S. Navy successfully thwarted an attempted hijacking by armed individuals on a ship operated by an Israeli-owned company in the Gulf of Aden. The U.S. Central Command stated that the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles targeting the U.S. destroyer USS Mason, which was in the operational area, but failed to hit the target.
The U.S. aircraft carrier Eisenhower and its accompanying strike group passed through the Strait of Hormuz, reaching the Gulf to support command missions. The group will patrol the Arabian Gulf waters to ensure the freedom of navigation, reflecting the strategic importance of this region in global maritime security.
U.S. officials reported that the destroyer USS Mason responded to a distress call from the chemical tanker Central Park, owned by the Israeli Ofer family, confirming its safety and aiding in its protection.
Previously, a U.S. defense official had believed that unknown gunmen had seized the oil tanker Central Park in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday. LSE Group’s data revealed that the small oil tanker is managed by Zodiac Maritime Limited, an Israeli-owned international ship management company based in London.
Maritime security company Ambrey announced that an unspecified party had boarded the oil tanker, owned by a British company linked to Israel, near the Yemeni coast near Aden. The company speculated that the incident might be politically motivated.
The navigation data showed that the oil tanker Central Park departed from the Moroccan port of Asfi on November 12, with its final destination undisclosed. It turned off its tracking devices near the Suez Gulf in the Red Sea on November 22 and has not reappeared since.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Zodiac Maritime stated the hijacked ship off Yemen was carrying a phosphoric acid cargo, and a crisis management team was appointed at their London headquarters.
This incident follows a series of aggressive actions by the Houthis, including last Friday’s targeting and last week’s seizure of a cargo ship linked to Israel in the southern Red Sea. The Houthis have declared their intention to target all ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or flying the Israeli flag, citing aggression in the Gaza Strip as their motive.
