Iran-backed Houthi rebels have reportedly fired missiles at a US Navy destroyer off the coast of Yemen in a “significant escalation” – after American troops freed an Israeli-linked chemical tanker from them.
The warship USS Mason responded Sunday to a distress call from the commercial tanker Central Park in the Gulf of Aden that had been hijacked by armed rebels.
The Yemeni Houthis rebels were officially recognized as a terrorist organization in the US under the Trump administration – until Biden removed the militants from the list in 2021.
The tanker, which was carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid, was identified as “Central Park” by shipping company Zodiac Maritime after it was seized on November 26.
Accordingly Fox News Citing two senior US officials, Houthi forces fired two ballistic missiles at the USS Mason after the Navy captured the armed hijackers.
The USS Mason pursued the missiles – both missed their target and landed in the water.
Pictured: Zodiac Maritime, the tanker Central Park. According to authorities, attackers seized the Israel-linked tanker off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on Sunday, November 26, 2023
This was viewed as a significant escalation, sources told Fox, because it showed Houthi threatening U.S. Navy ships.
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks in Middle Eastern waters since a brutal war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7.
It followed last week’s seizure of an Israel-linked cargo ship by Yemen’s Houthis, allies of Iran, in the southern Red Sea. The group, which also fired ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel, vowed to attack more Israeli ships.
Central Park, a small 19,998 tonne chemical tanker, is managed by Zodiac Maritime Ltd, a London-based international ship management company owned by the Israeli Ofer family.
The Liberian-flagged vessel was built in 2015 and is owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., LSEG data showed.
Zodiac Maritime said in a statement that Central Park, carrying a full load of phosphoric acid, was involved in a suspected piracy incident while crossing international waters about 54 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.
Phosphoric acid is mainly used for fertilizers.
“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew members on board.” “The ship, commanded by Turkey, has a multinational crew consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals,” the statement said.
“We would like to thank coalition forces who responded quickly, protected assets in the region and complied with international maritime law.”
There was no immediate comment from Houthi officials.
Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations Agency said on Sunday it was aware of a possible attack in southwest Aden and urged other ships to exercise caution.
The US has blamed Iran for unclaimed attacks on several ships in the region in recent years. Tehran has denied involvement.
This comes after the merchant ship Galaxy Leader was allegedly illegally boarded by military personnel using a helicopter on November 19.
An Israeli-linked cargo ship hijacked by Iran-backed Houthi rebels was spotted in satellite images (pictured) off the coast of Yemen earlier this week. This happened before
The Houthis released dramatic footage (pictured) on Monday showing heavily armed men descending from a helicopter and seizing the cargo ship in the southern Red Sea. This incident occurred before the warship USS Mason responded to a distress call from the commercial tanker Central Park on Sunday
Pictured: The Houthi rebels approached the bridge of another ship with their weapons drawn, while crew members on the bridge raised their hands in surrender
The ship was then spotted in the Hodeidah port area of Yemen, the images show.
The Houthis released dramatic footage showing heavily armed men getting out of a helicopter and seizing the cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.
In the clip, gunmen approached the bridge with weapons drawn while crew members raised their hands in surrender. One of the fighters was filmed walking through the ship shouting “Allahu Akbar.”
The cargo ship was intercepted as it passed the Arabian Peninsula en route to India after leaving Turkey. It now appears to have come to a standstill off the coast of Yemen, about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) south of Israel.
It is registered under a British company partly owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar and is currently leased to a Japanese company.
There are concerns about the crew of the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, which Galaxy Maritime said includes nationals of Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania. The ship is chartered by the Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen.
Galaxy Maritime said: “Owners and managers believe that the seizure of this vessel represents a gross violation of the freedom of passage of the world fleet and a serious threat to international trade.”
It added that “the greatest concern at this time is the safety of the 25 crew members currently being held by the perpetrators of this crime.”