The armed group Houthis in Yemen has claimed responsibility for attacking a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. This attack marks the Houthis’ first effort against maritime shipping since Israel carried out an airstrike in the port city of Hodeidah on July 20. Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Houthi military, stated in a televised announcement that the ship, MV Groton, was struck by ballistic missiles. British maritime operations and security firm Ambrey confirmed that the ship was targeted by a missile 125 nautical miles (230 km) east of Yemen’s port in Aden. Both parties reported that there was no observed water intrusion or oil spill.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), a multinational coalition under the United States Navy, reported that all crew members on board were safe and that “the ship was reported to have diverted to a nearby port.” The MV Groton had departed from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Greek managers of the Groton have not responded to requests for comments.
The attack signifies a resumption of Houthi strikes following an apparent pause after Israel’s airstrike on Hodeidah, which occurred the day after a drone sent by the Iran-aligned group hit Israel’s economic hub, Tel Aviv. JMIC indicated that the ship “was targeted due to other vessels in the company’s fleet that had recently called at ports in Israel.”
The renewal of attacks by the Houthis comes in the wake of the elimination of Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Iran and a Hezbollah military commander in Beirut, raising new concerns that the conflict could escalate into a regional war. The Houthis have been conducting attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November in solidarity with the Palestinians amid Israel’s war against Gaza.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s densely populated north and west, including the capital, Sanaa, have targeted over 70 ships with missiles and drones in a campaign that has resulted in the deaths of four seafarers. They have seized one ship and sunk two others. Additional missiles and drones have been either intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or have crashed before reaching their targets.
These attacks have prompted airstrikes from American and British forces and have disrupted global trade, as shipowners choose to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, opting for the longer journey around the southern tip of Africa.