A Greek bulk carrier was hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen, the private maritime risks company Ambrey reported on Tuesday (January 16). The Yemeni Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack early in the evening, saying they had carried out an operation “targeted” using “several missiles”and warning that they will continue their attacks “to defend Yemen and in solidarity with the Palestinian people”.
The ship flying the Maltese flag “was hit by a missile while crossing the southern Red Sea heading north”, northwest of the Yemeni town of Al-Salif, Ambrey said, adding that the bulk carrier had continued on its route. According to Ambrey, the bulk carrier was heading towards the Suez Canal. This ship and others belonging to the same fleet have stopped in Israel since October 7, she added.
A source in the Greek Ministry of the Navy, who communicated with the company to which the ship belongs, clarified that it was the bulk carrier Zografiawhich had twenty-four crew members on board. “He suffered limited damage following the impact” And “remains seaworthy”, assured the latter, affirming that the attack had taken place 76 miles northwest of Yemen (about 140 kilometers), that there were no Greek sailors on board the ship and that the shooting did not caused no injuries. THE Zografia came from Vietnam to Israel, and “the damage assessment will be carried out in Suez”specified this same source.
Area through which 12% of world trade passes
The attacks in this essential area, through which 12% of world trade passes, pushed the United States and the United Kingdom to strike the rebels in Yemen on Friday and Saturday. Which responded on Monday by firing a missile against an American cargo ship, without causing any injuries or major damage.
The Shell oil group will no longer pass its ships through the Red Sea until further notice, according to information published by the Wall Street Journal. According to the economic daily, the group took this decision last week, taking into account these threats to its crews and the risk of an oil spill in the region in the event of an attack. Contacted by Agence France-Presse, a Shell spokesperson declined to comment.
There “dangerous escalation” in the Red Sea will affect the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG), “like all other merchant cargo”, warned the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed Ben Abderrahmane Al Thani, on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Houthi attacks have forced many shipowners to avoid the area and take a longer route around the tip of Africa, at the cost of increased transport costs and longer delivery times.
On Monday, according to the Bloomberg news agency, at least five ships carrying LNG operated by Qatar, which were heading towards the strategic Bab Al-Mandab Strait, separating the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa, had arrested off the coast of Oman.