Huthis strike cargo ship headed to Iran: US military

Huthis strike cargo ship headed to Iran: US military
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Feb 13, 2024

The US military said Monday that Iran-backed Huthi rebels had launched missiles at a cargo vessel off Yemen's south coast, with the ship reporting only minor damage and continuing to its intended port -- in Iran.

"On Feb. 12 from 3:30 to 3:45 a.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Huthi militants fired two missiles from Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Bab al-Mandeb," the US Central Command said on X, formerly Twitter.

A security firm, Ambrey, said the ship was a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier and that it "was targeted by missiles in two separate incidents" within 20 minutes.

It "was reportedly hit and sustained physical damage on the starboard side," Ambrey said, adding that a private armed security team was on board.

"The group owner of the bulker was also listed on the US stock market index NASDAQ, which was identified as the likely reason for the attack," it said.

CENTCOM said the ship, the MV Star Iris, was "transiting the Red Sea carrying corn from Brazil" and reported "being seaworthy with minor damage and no injuries to the crew."

The MV Star Iris's destination is Bandar Imam Khomeini, in Iran, it added.

The Huthis, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel "axis of resistance" of Iran-backed groups, have been targeting Red Sea shipping vessels since November, triggering US and British reprisal attacks.

- Red Sea disruption -

The rebels say the attacks are intended to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war since October.

"The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the American ship Star Iris in the Red Sea with a number of suitable naval missiles, and the strikes were accurate and direct," Huthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a speech on Monday.

The Huthis "will not hesitate to carry out more operations in retaliation to the Zionist crimes against our brothers in the Gaza Strip, as well as in response to the ongoing American-British aggression against our dear country."

The Huthis' attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.

Israel has bombarded Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Hamas on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Palestinian militants also seized about 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel says some 130 are still in Gaza, though 29 are thought to be dead.

Israel has responded with a relentless offensive in Gaza that the territory's health ministry says has killed at least 28,176 people as of Sunday, mostly women and children.

Vessel reports missile attack off Yemen's coast: security firms
Sanaa (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 - A vessel reported coming under a missile attack off Yemen's southern coast on Monday while transiting the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait, security agencies said.

Yemen's Huthi rebels, who have repeatedly targeted Red Sea shipping in recent months, said they had attacked a US ship with "suitable naval missiles", though it was not immediately clear they were referring to the same incident.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said in an incident report that the attack occurred before 0400 local time (0100 GMT).

"The crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to next port of call," UKMTO said.

Another security firm, Ambrey, said the ship was a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier and that it "was targeted by missiles in two separate incidents" within 20 minutes.

It "was reportedly hit and sustained physical damage on the starboard side", Ambrey said, adding that a private armed security team was on board.

The group owner and operator of the bulk carrier targeted on Monday regularly trades cargo with Iran, "so this was assessed to be the likely destination", Ambrey said.

"The group owner of the bulker was also listed on the US stock market index NASDAQ, which was identified as the likely reason for the attack," it said.

The Huthis, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel "axis of resistance" of Iran-backed groups, have been targeting Red Sea shipping vessels since November, triggering US and British reprisal attacks.

- Red Sea disruption -

The rebels say the attacks are intended to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war since October.

The Huthis' attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.

Israel has bombarded Gaza since the October 7 attacks on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Palestinian militants seized about 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel says 130 are still in Gaza, though 29 are thought to be dead.

Israel has responded with a relentless offensive in Gaza that the territory's health ministry says has killed at least 28,176 people as of Sunday, mostly women and children.

US military strikes more missiles in Yemen
Washington (AFP) Feb 11, 2024 - The US military said Sunday it had struck more devices and missiles in Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.

The strikes occurred on Saturday between 4:00-5:00 pm (1300-1400 GMT) north of the city of Hodeida, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media.

American "forces successfully conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned surface vessels (USV) and three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM)... that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea," the statement said.

The Huthi-run Al-Masirah television on Saturday night reported three strikes on the Salif port area, while an AFP correspondent in the area heard loud blasts.

The strikes are part of a series of actions taken by the United States and its allies against the Huthis, aimed at halting the Iran-backed rebels' repeated attacks on vital Red Sea shipping lanes.

On Saturday, the Huthis confirmed that 17 of their fighters had been killed in recent strikes, following a previous announcement on Thursday by the United States that it had struck missile launchers.

The Huthis, who control much of war-torn Yemen including the port of Hodeida, began their attacks in November, saying they were hitting Israel-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war.

US and British forces have responded with strikes against the Huthis, who have since declared the two countries' interests to be legitimate targets as well.

On Tuesday the Huthi rebels said they had struck US and British ships in two attacks in the Red Sea, causing minor damage but no casualties.

The Red Sea attacks have raised insurance premiums for shipping companies, forcing many to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.