Greek cargo ship attacked with missile in Red Sea off Yemen, no injuries

A Greek ship was hit by a missile off the western coast of Yemen without causing injuries to its 24 crew members or significant damage to the ship, which was able to continue heading towards the north of the Red Sea, the shipping company informed EFE.

The cargo ship “Zografia”, sailing under the Maltese flag, was hit by the missile approximately 76 nautical miles northwest of the port of Saleef in Yemen.

According to what a representative of the Greek shipping company Vulcanis Technical Maritime Enterprises told EFE, none of the 24 crew members were injured and the ship is heading towards the Suez Canal.

The attack occurred around 11:00 GMT and, according to the company, another incident had occurred a few hours earlier, when a ship tried to approach the cargo ship, which could be avoided with maneuvers by the Greek ship.

The Greek ship had set sail empty in Vietnam and had Israel as its final destination, where it was going to be loaded.

Search for a port near the Suez Canal

After the attack, reaching Israel is ruled out and the company is looking for a port near the Suez Canal where it can anchor to evaluate the damage caused, the shipping company told EFE.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have in recent weeks increased attacks in the Red Sea against ships they suspect have links to Israel, acting, they say, in response to the bombing of Gaza.

The attacks in this area essential for maritime trade – given that it is a mandatory step to reach the Suez Canal – led the US and the United Kingdom to attack the Houthis in Yemen last week.

The Houthis responded on Monday by firing a missile at a US cargo ship, causing no injuries or significant damage.

Another Greek ship captured last Thursday

Last Thursday another Greek ship, the oil tanker “St Nikolas”, was captured by the Iranian Navy in the Gulf of Oman and is currently in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

The US State Department has demanded that the Iranian government “immediately” release the ship and its crew, noting that the capture of the ship “is the latest example of Iran’s behavior aimed at disrupting international trade.”

The ship in question – when it was still sailing under the name “Suez Rajan” – was involved in a year-long dispute in which the US Department of Justice ended up seizing one million barrels of Iranian crude oil it was transporting.

Attack campaign

This Monday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack against the American container ship M/V Gibraltar Eagle, flying the Marshall Islands flag, and stated that the bombing campaign by the United States and the United Kingdom against their positions will have “an inevitable response.” .

The United States and the United Kingdom began a bombing campaign early Friday against insurgent positions in Yemen, in retaliation for the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, through which around 15% of world maritime trade sails.

For their part, the US naval forces reported today that on January 11 they sank a “dhow” – a traditional Arab sailboat – without a flag that was illegally transporting “lethal aid” from Iran to resupply the Yemeni Houthis, in a mission in the Arabian Sea in which two US Marines disappeared.

Iran’s supreme leader praises Houthi actions

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, praised the Houthis on Tuesday for their attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.

“The people of Yemen and the Government of Ansarolá (Houthis) have done a great job. What they did in support of the people of Gaza deserves praise,” the Iranian leader said in a speech to clerics in Tehran.

“They (the Houthis) have hit the vital channels of the Zionist regime (Israel),” stressed Khamenei, who described the actions of the Yemenis as “correct and just.”

Khamenei assured that the Houthis, allies of Tehran, “are not afraid” despite American threats.

“It is an example of jihad (sacrifice) for the cause of God. We hope these efforts continue until victory,” he said.

The United States has accused Iran of “supporting” the Houthis in their attacks, however, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdolahian assured on Monday that the Yemeni Houthis act independently and do not follow orders from Tehran. With EFE

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