The attack on August 2 occurred about 225 kilometers southeast of Aden, in a stretch of the Gulf of Aden that has seen numerous Houthi attacks in the past.
The attack hit the container ship Groton and caused minor damage, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a multinational coalition overseen by the US Navy. An earlier missile attack had missed the ship.
"All crew on board are safe. The ship is reported to be diverting to a nearby port," JMIC said.
The Groton was hit by a missile while en route to the Saudi Arabian Red Sea city of Jeddah after leaving the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houthi military, claimed responsibility for the attack on the afternoon of August 3.
Groton container ship. Photo: Marine Traffic
The Houthis have previously claimed that their attacks on ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK were a way to end the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. However, many of the ships attacked had little or no connection to the war, including some headed to Iran.
In the case of the Groton, JMIC said the ship was “targeted due to other vessels in the company having recently called at Israeli ports.”
The Houthis have launched drones and missiles at Israel, including an attack on July 19 that killed one person and wounded 10 in Tel Aviv. Israel responded the next day with airstrikes on the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen, targeting fuel depots and power stations, killing and wounding several people.
Since November, Houthi attacks have disrupted the flow of $1 trillion worth of goods through the region each year, while also sparking the most intense fighting the US Navy has seen since World War II.
The Houthis' renewed attacks on ships in the Red Sea, as well as their ongoing missile and UAV attacks on Israeli territory, come at a time when the situation in the Middle East is more tense than ever.
In addition to the ongoing war in Gaza, the threat of full-scale conflict is also looming between Israel and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, as well as between Israel and Iran.
Ngoc Anh (according to AP)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/houthi-danh-trung-tau-container-tinh-hinh-trung-dong-them-nghiem-trong-post306365.html
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