Houthis Claim Attack on Three Vessels, Including One in the Mediterranean

Iran-backed Houthi militants claimed to have attacked three ships in the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Arabian Sea. Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the Houthis, stated in a televised speech on June 4 that Houthi forces targeted three vessels: 'Yanis' in the Red Sea, 'Essex' in the Mediterranean, and 'MSC Alexandra' in the Arabian Sea. The spokesman did not specify when the attacks occurred but claimed that the Essex ship, which was 'violating the ban on ships entering Palestinian ports,' was hit by several missiles in the Mediterranean. Despite these claims, the manager of the Essex, which was allegedly attacked in the Mediterranean, denied that such an incident took place. The attacks on these three ships, according to the Houthis, are the latest in their campaign against regional shipping, which they claim is in support of Palestinians fighting against Israel in Gaza. The U.S. Central Command announced on June 4 that the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea on June 3, but no casualties or damage were reported following these attacks. Maritime transport data shows that the Essex, a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker flying the Liberian flag, was anchored off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, in the Mediterranean on Friday. This ship is owned by Zodiac Maritime, and its owner is an Israeli billionaire named Eyal Ofer. A spokesman for the London-based company stated, 'The ship is safely anchored in Egyptian waters, and there are no signs of any unusual incidents.' The British maritime security company, Ambrey, in a note referring to the Essex, stated that 'this ship has been engaged in commercial activity between Alexandria and Port Said, both in Egypt, and has not visited any Israeli port in recent weeks.' Ambrey also noted that 'this tanker has not moved more than 15 nautical miles from the Egyptian coast in the past week, suggesting that the Houthis did not fire at the ship.' The most important international ship registry, the Marshall Islands, issued a security warning last week stating, 'While various security sources have assessed that Houthi missiles and drones have sufficient range to reach the Eastern Mediterranean from Yemen, they have simultaneously assessed that coalition forces and local military forces have adequate air defense systems to counter this potential activity.' Houthi militants say they are targeting vessels linked to Israel in the Mediterranean. Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis in Yemen, announced earlier this month that all ships heading to Israeli ports, not just those moving in the Red Sea, would be attacked by this group. Iran-backed Houthi militants have been conducting repeated drone and missile attacks on vessels in critical shipping routes in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden since October, following attacks by the extremist group Hamas on Israel that initiated the war, to show their support for Palestinians in this conflict. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist group by the U.S. and Europe. The escalation of the Israel-Hamas war has heightened concerns about destabilization in the Middle East, prompting ships to alter their shipping routes to longer and more expensive paths toward Southern Africa.