2024-01-16 21:24:00
“Limited damage suffered… navigation possible, no casualties” Qatar Prime Minister: “US and UK military intervention will only worsen the situation” British global energy company Shell suspends navigation in the Red Sea indefinitely
Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked a Maltese-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship with a missile in the Red Sea on the 16th (local time).
According to Al Jazeera, Ambrey, a British maritime security company, said, “It is reported that the Maltese-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier ‘Bografia’ was hit by a missile while moving towards the northern part of the Red Sea.”
Ambray added that the ship was heading to the Suez Canal but changed course and headed to port following being targeted by a missile.
Afterwards, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea issued a statement confirming that they were responsible, saying, “We attacked the Zografia ship, which was heading to Israel, with a missile, causing a direct hit.”
The vessel was sailing from Vietnam to Israel. It is said that her crew of 24 were on board and that she carried no cargo.
An anonymous source told AFP, “The ship sustained limited damage but remains navigable,” and added, “There are no casualties.”
The U.S. military also carried out additional armed attacks once morest Houthi rebels.
The U.S. Central Command said, “We destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles that were ready for launch.” It said the attack posed an imminent threat to merchant ships and U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea region.
Houthi forces have been attacking civilian commercial ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea since November last year. The Houthis claim the attack was a response to Israel’s shelling of the Gaza Strip.
In response to the US and UK airstrikes in Yemen, the Houthis threatened to expand the scope of their attacks in the Red Sea to include US ships.
On the 14th, the Houthis fired a cruise missile targeting a U.S. destroyer in the Red Sea, and on the 15th, they hit a U.S.-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
Al Jazeera pointed out that “the tensions in the Red Sea might escalate into something bigger, especially a potential war between the United States and Iran in Yemen.”
Previously, at least five Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels stopped transporting them in the Red Sea.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on the 15th, “(Military intervention) will not end or suppress this situation, but in fact will make it worse.” pointed out.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Shell, a British global energy company, has suspended operations on the Red Sea route indefinitely.
Shell said, “If the (Houthi rebels’) attack is successful, a large-scale (oil) leak might occur in this area and it might pose a risk to the safety of the crew, so we have temporarily suspended navigation in the Red Sea.” A Shell tanker was targeted by drones last month as it attempted to transit the Red Sea to deliver jet fuel to India.
Shell CEO Wil Sawan said at the World Economic Forum (WEF. Davos) in Switzerland, “The Red Sea disruption has complicated energy distribution, increased costs, and delivery times are taking several weeks longer. “Transportation costs have increased by 5 to 10 percent,” he said. “We are monitoring the situation daily,” he said, adding, “It remains to be seen whether it will become a long-term problem.”
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