JERUSALEM. Tensions escalate in the Gulf of Aden as Houthi rebels fired a missile, striking a U.S.-owned ship, the Gibraltar Eagle, just off the coast of Yemen on Monday. This follows less than a day after the rebels launched an anti-ship cruise missile towards an American destroyer in the Red Sea.
The attack, claimed by the Houthis, further intensifies the already heightened tensions in the Red Sea after recent American-led strikes on the rebels. The Houthis’ actions have disrupted global shipping routes, adding to the complexities of the region, which is already strained due to Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that the attack occurred approximately 110 miles southeast of Aden in the Gulf of Aden. The ship’s captain confirmed the missile hit the “port side of the vessel from above.”
Private security firms Ambrey and Dryad Global identified the vessel as the Eagle Gibraltar, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier. The U.S. military’s Central Command later acknowledged the strike, stating that the ship reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack in a televised address, declaring all American and British ships participating in the aggression against Yemen as hostile targets.
The Eagle Gibraltar, owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping based in Stamford, Connecticut, sustained limited damage to a cargo hold but remains stable and is heading out of the area, according to the company’s statement. All seafarers on board are confirmed to be uninjured.
Satellite-tracking data analyzed by the Associated Press revealed that the Eagle Gibraltar had initially been bound for the Suez Canal but rapidly changed course at the time of the attack.
Central Command also reported a separate anti-ship ballistic missile launch towards the southern Red Sea on Monday, which failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen. The U.S. Maritime Administration issued a warning of a continuing high degree of risk to commercial vessels in the area, recommending that U.S. flag and U.S.-owned commercial vessels stay away from Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until further notice.
The recent events mark an escalation in hostilities, with the first U.S.-acknowledged Houthi missile launch towards an American warship in the Red Sea, prompting concerns about potential retaliation. President Joe Biden stated that he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.” The situation remains fluid, and the international community closely watches the developments in the region.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
