A Security Company Reports a 'Failed Attempt' to Hijack a Ship Off the Coast of Yemen

One day after the announcement of the formation of a new multinational maritime group led by the United States to protect commercial vessels, reports have emerged of another 'failed attempt' to hijack ships near the coast of Yemen. The British security company 'Ambrey' announced on Tuesday, December 19, that it received information about a possible 'violent entry' into a vessel west of the port city of Aden in Yemen, adding that the attack was unsuccessful and all crew members are safe. According to the security company, one of the vessels present received an emergency message from a ship that had been 'attacked by pirates' nearby, and half an hour later, an aircraft arrived at the scene to search the area. 'Ambrey' confirmed that on Tuesday, several small boats approached three commercial ships that were moving eastward 71 miles southwest of Aden. According to 'Ambrey', one of these ships was a bulk carrier flying the Liberian flag that was able to effectively evade the attack by increasing speed and changing course. Another ship, an oil tanker also flying the Liberian flag, initially reported an emergency message about an attack but later stated that the attackers could not board and the ship continued on its course. According to maritime sources, amid the increasing attacks by Houthi forces supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran on commercial ships in the Red Sea during the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, there are concerns in the shipping industry about the extension of these attacks to other groups as well. This comes as Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, announced on Monday, December 18, during his trip to the Middle East, the formation of a new naval force in cooperation with the U.S. and several other countries to protect vessels transiting the Red Sea and counter Houthi attacks. In a statement, Lloyd Austin described the threat to free trade in the region posed by the Houthis supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran as 'an international challenge that requires collective action' and stated, 'The escalation of Houthi attacks from Yemen threatens the free flow of trade, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international laws.' He noted that Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain would join the United States in the new mission, adding, 'In this operation, some countries will conduct joint patrols while others will provide intelligence support in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.' According to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, this mission will be coordinated by the Combined Task Force 153, which was established in April 2022 to improve maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have been launching attacks against ships in the region since the onset of the Israeli war against Hamas on October 7. They have threatened all ships belonging to Israel as well as any vessel heading towards Israeli ports. The U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, announced on December 17 that the guided-missile destroyer 'Carney' shot down 14 drones launched by the Houthis in the Red Sea on the morning of December 16. According to the statement, these drones were offensive and unilateral, and were shot down without causing any damage to vessels present in the waters. Simultaneously, Britain also announced that one of its warships had shot down a suspicious offensive drone that intended to attack commercial vessels. Currently, three U.S. warships are patrolling the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait daily to help deter and respond to Houthi attacks. The United States has not attacked the Iran-backed Houthis operating in Yemen to date, nor has it targeted any of their weapons or sites. On Monday, the U.S. Secretary of Defense did not respond to a question about why the Pentagon had not conducted retaliatory strikes. Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, on Monday, December 18, referred to the recent Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea as a sign of the increasing audacity of Iran's proxy forces and warned of the serious threat these incidents pose to the global economy. He stated that the current approach to addressing real challenges and threats undermines the credibility of the United States as a global superpower and called for more serious actions against the Houthis and their supporters. President Joe Biden had removed the Houthis from the U.S. government's list of terrorist organizations three years ago at the beginning of his presidency. A group of Republican senators is calling for the return of this Iran-backed militia to the terrorism list. The U.S. Secretary of Defense warned about Houthi attacks on the Islamic Republic during his visit to Israel. Lloyd Austin is arriving in Israel today. Two other shipping companies have refrained from transiting the Suez Canal and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; Houthi attacks have made the Red Sea unsafe. The U.S. announced the downing of 14 Houthi offensive drones. Britain shot down a suspicious offensive drone in the skies over the Red Sea. The Pentagon ordered the American aircraft carrier to remain in the eastern Mediterranean near Israel.