The US-owned ship was struck by a missile off Yemen’s coast. In a recent incident, a missile struck a ship just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 110 miles (177 kilometers) southeast of Aden, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The ship, owned by Eagle Bulk, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange, reported that the “port side of the vessel [was] hit from above by a missile.”
Authorities are currently investigating the incident, and vessels in transit have been advised by the UKMTO to exercise “extreme caution.” Ambrey, a British maritime risk company, reported that a fire broke out on board the Marshall Islands-flagged, US-owned bulk carrier. The company assessed the attack as targeting US interests in response to US military strikes on Houthi military positions in Yemen. Notably, the vessel was deemed to be not Israel-affiliated.
While Yemen’s Houthi rebels have not immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, they have previously fired missiles in the same area. This incident follows the Houthis firing an anti-ship cruise missile toward a US destroyer in the Red Sea, which was subsequently shot down by a US fighter jet. The Houthis, in support of Hamas, have targeted the crucial corridor linking Asian and Middle Eastern energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal en route to Europe.
The recent missile attack underscores the ongoing tensions in the region, with geopolitical dynamics involving the conflict between Israel and Hamas further complicating the situation. The origin of the missile, reportedly from near Hodeida, is linked to Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas in Yemen, according to the US. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or damage in this latest attack on global shipping.
