British Ship Hijacked by Houthis; Israel Holds Iran Responsible

Benjamin Netanyahu's office, the Prime Minister of Israel, issued a statement on Sunday holding the Islamic Republic of Iran responsible for the hijacking of a 'British ship' in the Red Sea. According to the statement from Netanyahu's office, this 'British ship' was operated by a 'Japanese company' and was hijacked by Yemeni Houthis at the behest of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The statement further noted that the crew of the ship consisted of 25 individuals from Ukraine, Bulgaria, the Philippines, and Mexico, with no Israeli citizens among the abducted. The statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's office added: 'This is another terrorist act by [the Islamic Republic of] Iran, reflecting the escalation of [the Islamic Republic of] Iran's aggression against the citizens of the free world and creating international repercussions regarding the security of global shipping routes.' The Israeli army also described the hijacking of the ship by the Iranian-backed Houthis as 'a very serious incident on a global scale.' According to the Israeli army, the ship was en route from Turkey to India, and all its crew members were civilians and non-Israeli. The Times of Israel, citing Arab media, reported that the ship 'Galaxy Leader,' flying the Panamanian flag, was registered under a company owned by Israeli businessman Abraham Ongar and had 22 occupants at the time of the hijacking. Following the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent extensive Israeli assault on Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas, the U.S. and its allies have repeatedly expressed their firm support for Israel, warning all state and non-state actors in the region not to exploit the current situation and escalate conflicts throughout the region. The Houthis, who have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, have transformed into a large military force in the Arabian Peninsula with tens of thousands of militants and a vast arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones. In light of increasing regional tensions, Washington is on alert regarding the activities of Iran-backed groups.