A US-owned cargo ship was hit by a missile fired by the Yemeni Houthi militia, which is financed by Iran, this Monday (15). The attack came a day after the Houthis launched a missile at an American destroyer, which was intercepted.
The stricken ship was identified as M/V Gibraltar Eagle, which sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands and carries containers. The missile hit the left side of the ship and caused a fire on board, but there were no injuries and the ship continued sailing, according to a British maritime safety company.
US Central Command confirmed the attack and said the Houthis used an anti-ship ballistic missile. The United Kingdom also warned about the incident on its commercial maritime operations website.
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemeni territory, including the capital, said they will “prevent Israeli ships from sailing or heading to Israeli ports, in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.” They also “accused” the US and UK of “provoking disturbances in the Red Sea with their attacks on Yemen”.
The Red Sea is a strategic route for world trade. The Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on ships in the region, trying to economically harm Israel and its allies. Over the past week, the US has bombed a series of militia targets to prevent further attacks from taking place.
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