Continued Houthi Naval Attacks; Destroyer 'Jamaran' Did Not Respond to Crew's Call for Help

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center announced on Sunday that a ship reported two explosions nearby, 40 nautical miles south of Al-Mokha in Yemen, but both the ship and its crew are safe and proceeding to their next port. The agency added that officials are investigating the matter. A day earlier, on Saturday, June 16, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the crew of the cargo ship Verbena, flying the Palauan flag and managed by a Polish company, were evacuated after an attack by Iranian-backed Houthi militants, and a fire continues on the ship. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Organization also reported on Saturday that the crew of the Verbena, which was attacked 98 nautical miles east of Aden in Yemen, abandoned the ship, which is now burning and sinking. The Verbena was attacked on Thursday by two anti-ship cruise missiles fired by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in the Gulf of Aden. CENTCOM stated that on Saturday at 1:30 PM local time in Sana'a, the crew of the Verbena sent an emergency message requesting assistance for evacuation, and a bulk carrier named 'Ana Meta' responded to this request for help. The US military added that the bulk carrier 'Ana Meta' evacuated the sailors and crew of the Verbena and is transferring them to a safe location. CENTCOM indicated that the crew of the Verbena had to abandon the ship due to the ongoing fire and inability to control it. The US military also stated that the Jamaran destroyer of the Islamic Republic was eight nautical miles from the Verbena but did not respond to the crew's call for help. CENTCOM emphasized that these 'reckless malicious actions by Iranian-backed Houthis threaten regional stability and endanger the lives of sailors across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.' In this context, Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Houthis, announced on Saturday evening that the Verbena had sunk in the Gulf of Aden. The Houthi spokesperson added that the MV Teutor, a Liberian-flagged ship owned by Greece, which was 'targeted by drones and several ballistic missiles, is also at risk of sinking in the coming hours.' CENTCOM reported that a commercial sailor from the Teutor, flagged in Liberia and owned by Greece, remains missing after the Houthi attack on Wednesday, which used a bomb-laden unmanned boat to attack the ship. The command stated: 'The crew abandoned the ship and were rescued by the US Navy ship Philippine Sea and cooperating forces. The Teutor is still in the Red Sea and is slowly taking on water.' The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center announced on Saturday afternoon that the Teutor 'is still burning and sinking.' According to the Philippine government news agency, the missing sailor is Filipino, and most of the 22 crew members of the Teutor are from the Philippines. He said: 'We are trying to find this sailor and pray that we can locate him.' According to the US Maritime Administration, the Houthis have carried out over 50 attacks on ships since November, killing three sailors, seizing one ship, and sinking another. The Houthis claim that since January, a US-led air campaign has targeted them, and in a series of attacks on May 30, at least 16 people were killed and 42 others injured. Following the disappearance of a commercial sailor and the fire on his ship in the latest Houthi attack on maritime traffic in the vital Red Sea corridor, the US military launched a wave of attacks against radar sites controlled by the Houthis in Yemen. CENTCOM announced that US attacks have destroyed seven radars in Houthi-controlled territory. The command did not provide details on how these sites were destroyed and did not immediately respond to questions from the Associated Press. CENTCOM stated: 'These radars allow the Houthis to target maritime vessels and jeopardize commercial transportation.' The US military also separately destroyed two bomb-laden unmanned boats in the Red Sea and a drone launched by the Houthis over this waterway. These attacks come as the US Navy faces its most intense battle since World War II to counter Houthi attacks. The Houthis claim these attacks are aimed at stopping the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, the Iranian-backed militants often target ships and sailors with no connection to the war, while maritime traffic in this vital waterway for cargo and energy between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East has halved. The Houthis, who have controlled Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, since 2014, have not confirmed recent attacks or any military casualties. This has been their practice since the US began its airstrikes against this rebel group.