Houthi Attack on Liberia-flagged Vessel Highlights Rising Maritime Tensions

The Houthi movement targeted the Liberia-flagged container ship, MV Groton, in the Gulf of Aden, marking the first attack on shipping lanes since Israel's airstrike on Hodeidah port. The incident underscores the Houthi's ongoing conflict and its impact on global maritime routes.

The Houthi movement, aligned with Iran, announced on Sunday that it had targeted a Liberia-flagged container vessel in the Gulf of Aden. This marks the first attack on shipping lanes since Israel's retaliatory airstrike on Hodeidah port on July 20.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree disclosed in a televised address that the MV Groton was attacked by ballistic missiles. British maritime agency UKMTO and security firm Ambrey confirmed on Saturday that the vessel had been targeted 125 nautical miles east of Yemen's port of Aden. Thankfully, no water entry or oil leaks were reported.

Records from Refinitiv revealed that the ship, built in 2002, was en route to Djibouti at the time of the attack. This incident follows a period of apparent calm after Israel's prior attack on Hodeidah, which itself was a response to a drone strike on Tel Aviv, launched by the Iranian-backed Houthis.

(With inputs from agencies.)