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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 16 January 2024

Houthi rebels strike a U.S.-owned ship off the coast of Yemen in the

Gulf of Aden, raising tensions

By JON GAMBRELL anese militant Hezbollah
Associated Press group, Hassan Nasrallah,
JERUSALEM (AP) — Houthi obliquely referenced the
rebels fired a missile, striking widening Houthi attacks
a U.S.-owned ship Monday on ships in a speech Sun-
just off the coast of Yemen day, saying that “the sea
in the Gulf of Aden, less than has become a battlefield
a day after they launched of missiles, drones and war-
an anti-ship cruise missile ships” and blaming the U.S.
toward an American de- strikes for escalating mari-
stroyer in the Red Sea. time tensions.
The attack on the Gibral- “The most dangerous thing
tar Eagle, later claimed by is what the Americans did
the Houthis, further esca- in the Red Sea, (it) will harm
lates tensions gripping the the security of all maritime
Red Sea after American- navigation,” Nasrallah said.
led strikes on the rebels. Though the Biden admin-
The Houthis’ attacks have istration and its allies have
roiled global shipping, amid tried to calm tensions in the
Israel’s war with Hamas in Middle East for weeks and
the Gaza Strip, targeting prevent any wider conflict,
a crucial corridor linking the strikes in the Red Sea
Asian and Mideast energy threaten to ignite one.
and cargo shipments to It’s also affecting shipping
the Suez Canal onward to for the Middle East nation
Europe. of Qatar, one of the world’s
The United Kingdom Mari- The bulk carrier Gibraltar Eagle is seen off Kristiansand, Norway, June 29, 2023. top natural gas suppliers.
time Trade Operations, Associated Press Three liquid natural gas
which oversees Mideast tankers that had recently
waters, said Monday’s at- company acknowledged companies, it is recom- tacks, though President Joe loaded in Qatar and were
tack happened some 110 the strike and said it caused mended that U.S. flag and Biden has said he “will not bound for the Suez Canal
miles (177 kilometers) miles “limited damage to a car- U.S.-owned commercial hesitate to direct further remain idling off Oman,
southeast of Aden. It said go hold but (the ship) is vessels” stay away from Ye- measures to protect our while another coming from
the ship’s captain reported stable and is heading out men in the Red Sea and people and the free flow of Europe to Qatar remains
that the “port side of vessel of the area.” Gulf of Aden “until further international commerce as off Saudi Arabia. QatarEn-
hit from above by a mis- “All seafarers onboard the notice,” the advisory said. necessary.” ergy and government of-
sile.” vessel are confirmed to be Sunday’s missile launch to- The first day of U.S.-led ficials did not respond to a
Private security firms Am- uninjured,” the firm said. ward the American war- strikes Friday hit 28 locations request for comment.
brey and Dryad Global told “The vessel is carrying a ship also marked the first and struck more than 60 Saudi Arabia, which sup-
The Associated Press that cargo of steel products. U.S.-acknowledged fire by targets with cruise missiles ports the Yemeni gov-
the vessel was the Eagle Gi- Eagle Bulk management is the Houthis since America and bombs launched by ernment-in-exile that the
braltar, a Marshall Islands- in close contact with all rel- and allied nations began fighter jets, warships and a Houthis are fighting, sought
flagged bulk carrier. The evant authorities concern- strikes Friday on the rebels submarine. Sites hit includ- to distance itself from the
U.S. military’s Central Com- ing this matter.” following weeks of assaults ed weapon depots, radars attacks on Houthi sites as it
mand later acknowledged Satellite-tracking data ana- on shipping in the Red Sea. and command centers, tries to maintain a delicate
the strike. lyzed by the AP showed the The Houthi fire in the direc- including in remote moun- détente with Iran and a
“The ship has reported no Eagle Gibraltar had been tion of the USS Laboon, an tain areas, the U.S. has said. cease-fire it has in Yemen.
injuries or significant dam- bound for the Suez Canal, Arleigh Burke-class destroy- The Houthis have yet to The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed
age and is continuing its but rapidly turned around er operating in the southern acknowledge how severe war in Yemen that began
journey,” Central Com- at the time of the attack. reaches of the Red Sea, the damage was from in 2015 has killed more than
mand said. Central Command said it Central Command said. the strikes, which they said 150,000 people, including
Houthi military spokesman detected a separate anti- The missile came from killed five of their troops fighters and civilians, and
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree ship ballistic missile launch near Hodeida, a Red Sea and wounded six others. created one of the world’s
claimed the attack in a re- toward the southern Red port city long held by the U.S. forces followed up worst humanitarian disas-
corded television address Sea on Monday, though it Houthis, the U.S. said. with a strike Saturday on a ters, killing tens of thou-
that aired Monday night. “failed in flight and impact- “An anti-ship cruise mis- Houthi radar site. sands more.
“The Yemeni armed forces ed on land in Yemen.” sile was fired from Iranian- Since November, the rebels The American military did
consider all American and The U.S. Maritime Admin- backed Houthi militant ar- have repeatedly targeted not specifically say the fire
British ships and warships istration, under the Trans- eas of Yemen toward USS ships in the Red Sea, say- targeted the Laboon, fol-
participating in the aggres- portation Department, also Laboon,” Central Com- ing they were avenging lowing a pattern by the U.S.
sion against our country as issued a warning Monday mand said. “There were no Israel’s offensive in Gaza since the Houthi attacks
hostile targets,” he said. saying there continues to injuries or damage report- against Hamas. But they began. However, U.S. sail-
The vessel is owned by Ea- be “a high degree of risk to ed.” have frequently targeted ors have received combat
gle Bulk Shipping, a Stam- commercial vessels” travel- The Houthis did not ac- vessels with tenuous or no ribbons for their actions in
ford, Connecticut-based ing near Yemen. knowledge that attack. clear links to Israel, imperil- the Red Sea something
firm traded on the New “While the decision to tran- It wasn’t presently clear ing shipping in a key route handed out only to those
York Stock Exchange. In a sit remains at the discretion whether the U.S. would for global trade. who face active hostilities
statement to the AP, the of individual vessels and retaliate for the latest at- Even the leader of the Leb- with an enemy force.q