15-12-2023 (YEMEN) A missile launched from territory controlled by Yemen’s Houthi rebels narrowly missed a container ship traversing the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Thursday, marking the latest attack posing a threat to shipping in this strategic maritime chokepoint.
As part of their pressure campaign amid the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have conducted seaborne assaults, targeting vessels in the Red Sea while deploying drones and missiles against Israel. In recent days, they have issued threats against any vessel they suspect of heading to or coming from Israel, even those with no apparent connection to the conflict.
The missile fired on Thursday landed harmlessly in the water near the Maersk Gibraltar, a Hong Kong-flagged container ship en route from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to an anonymous U.S. defense official. The incident prompted an alert from the UK Maritime Trade Operations, which monitors shipping lanes in the region.
Later on Thursday, a Houthi spokesman claimed that the rebels had struck the Maersk Gibraltar with a drone after the crew allegedly failed to respond to a surrender call. The spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, also asserted that the vessel was heading to Israel. However, no details about the purported strike or resulting damage were provided.
Maersk, a major global shipping company, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Earlier in the day, private intelligence firm Ambrey reported that the ship had been contacted over the radio by an entity claiming to be the “Yemeni Navy,” believed to be the Houthis, demanding a course change toward Yemen before the missile was launched.
This incident follows two missiles fired from Houthi-held territory on Wednesday, narrowly missing a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Another missile fired on Monday night struck a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea, emphasizing the escalating threat to global shipping.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, only 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide at its narrowest point, serves as a critical passage for maritime trade, with almost 10% of all sea-traded oil passing through it. Approximately $1 trillion worth of goods transits through this strait annually.
In November, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship associated with Israel in the Red Sea. The rebels still maintain control of the vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Additionally, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire faced an attack from a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean.
While a tentative cease-fire holds between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s exiled government, concerns persist that broader conflicts at sea or potential reprisal strikes from Western forces could reignite tensions in the impoverished nation.
