Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels attacked a Maltese-flagged Greek ship with a missile today. in the Red Sea in another action by the insurgents against international maritime trade, various sources reported. A Houthi naval force source told EFE that they attacked and hit a ship with a missile off Salif, one of Yemen's ports, without giving further details.
On the other hand, the British Navy reported in an alert that it had received a report of “an incident”. 100 miles northwest of Salif, that the authorities are investigating. There are no further details or that Shipping company that owns the ship or from military sources.
Yesterday the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack Missiles against the American container ship M/V Gibraltar Eagleunder the flag of the Marshall Islands, and stated that the bombing of their positions by the United States and United Kingdom will have “an inevitable response.”
In response to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, through which about 15% of global maritime trade passes, the United States and the United Kingdom began a bombing campaign early Friday on insurgent positions in Yemen, killing at least five fighters .
According to the BBC, oil prices rose 4% last Friday after the United States and the United Kingdom launched joint attacks against Yemeni rebels in response to the siege of merchant ships transiting the Red Sea.
The US locates Iranian missiles intended for the Houthis
This Tuesday, US forces seized off the coast of Somalia a shipment of arms allegedly from Iran and destined for the Houthi rebels, according to the North American Central Command, which confirmed the first intervention of its kind since the surge in attacks in the Red Sea. The seizure occurred on January 11 – although it was only revealed on Tuesday – during a ship's flag check. US special forces, supported by helicopters and drones, boarded it in the waters of the Arabian Sea and they found on board “ballistic missiles and cruise missile components,” all of Iranian production.
Khamenei praises Yemeni rebels
Amid escalation in the Red Sea, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday praised the Houthis for their attacks on merchant ships. “The people of Yemen and the Ansarollah (Houthi) government have done a great job. What they have done to support the people of Gaza deserves praise,” the Iranian leader said in his speech to clerics in Tehran. “They (the Houthis) attacked the vital channels of the Zionist regime (Israel),” emphasized Khamenei, who described the Yemenis’ actions as “…” “right and fair.”
