Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Houthis attack Israel-linked ship in Indian Ocean, 2 US warships in Red Sea

DUBAI/CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthis said they targeted the MSC Orion container ship Monday in a drone attack in the Indian Ocean as part of their ongoing campaign against international shipping in solidarity with Gaza.

Portugal-flagged MSC Orion was sailing between the ports in Sines, Portugal and Salalah, Oman and its registered owner is Zodiac Maritime, according to LSEG data.

Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza, which the terror group claims has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.

The Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile strikes since November, forcing shippers to reroute cargo to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa and stoking fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread and destabilize the Middle East. READ MORE