Houthi attacks cargo ship en route to Iran

The US military said Houthi forces in Yemen attacked the cargo ship Star Iris en route to a port in southern Iran.

"The Iran-backed Houthi forces launched two missiles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Both missiles targeted the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship Star Iris, owned by a Greek company, which was carrying corn from Brazil through the Red Sea," the US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on February 13.

According to CENTCOM, the attack caused minor damage to the cargo ship Star Iris and no casualties to the crew. "Notably, the destination of the Star Iris was Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni," CENTCOM said, referring to the southern Iranian port city.

Star Iris cargo ship. Photo: VesselFinder

Earlier, Yahya Saree, a Houthi spokesman, said on February 12 that the force "attacked the US cargo ship Star Iris with missiles" in the Red Sea, affirming "a direct and precise strike". Mr. Saree declared that the Houthis would not hesitate to launch attacks in response to the US and UK.

Ishan Bhanu, a member of the Kpler data analysis team, commented that "the Star Iris, as well as other cargo vehicles bound for Iran, did not divert from the Red Sea, probably because they were not afraid of attacks from the Houthis, as this force considered their destination to be friendly".

A regional security official said the attack on the Star Iris “may have been staged to show that Iran does not control the Houthis and that they are operating independently.” The official said that “the Houthis informed Iran before attacking” the Star Iris.

The Houthis, who control large areas of Yemen, have launched several attacks since November on cargo ships they believe are linked to Israel, claiming they are an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The attacks have forced many shipping companies to stop shipping through the Red Sea and switch to a longer, more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa.

The US and UK have repeatedly launched campaigns to attack Houthi positions with radars, anti-ship missiles, suicide boats and drones, but have not been able to stop this force from attacking cargo ships.

Nguyen Tien (According to Reuters )

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