Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for launching assaults on three vessels in the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Arabian Sea, as stated by the Iran-aligned group on 24th May, Reuters highlights.
However, the manager of the ship supposedly attacked in the Mediterranean denied any evidence of such an occurrence.
These reported incidents mark the latest actions in an ongoing series of Houthi attacks on regional maritime targets, purportedly in solidarity with Palestinians engaged in the conflict with Israel in Gaza.
According to Yahya Sarea, the Houthi military spokesperson, the group’s forces targeted the Yannis in the Red Sea, the Essex in the Mediterranean Sea, and the MSC Alexandra in the Arabian Sea during a televised address.
The U.S. Central Command said on Friday that the Houthis had launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea on May 23, but no injuries or damage were reported.
As explained, the Liberia-flagged Essex LPG tanker was anchored near Egypt’s Alexandria port in the Mediterranean, according to shipping records. It’s managed by Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli magnate Eyal Ofer. A spokesperson for Zodiac Maritime stated that the vessel is safely anchored in Egyptian waters with no unusual signs.
Referring to the Essex, British maritime security company Ambrey noted that the vessel had been trading between Alexandria and Port Said in Egypt and had not visited any Israeli ports recently. Ambrey stated that the tanker had not traveled more than 15 nautical miles offshore Egypt in the past week, citing Houthi statements indicating they did not target the vessel.
