A missile fired from Yemen struck a Norweigian trading vessel in the Red Sea Monday, a further escalation of the ongoing conflict there tied to the Israel-Hamas war. The strike represented one of a number launched by Houthi rebels aligned with Iran against civilian, American and Israeli targets.
The rocket struck the oil and chemical tanker, with the Houthis claiming that the vessel’s crew “rejected all warning calls.”
The attack took place about 60 miles through the narrow pass between Africa and the Middle East.
The United States military said that there were no U.S. Navy ships near the vessel at the time of the attack, but that an American destroyer was rendering aid.
While the attack caused a fire onboard, there were no deaths or injuries reported.
Last week, the rebel group announced that it would be attacking all vessels believed to be traveling to or from Israel.
Separately, the rebels have launched a number of missiles and drones at Israel. Some have been shot down by the Israel Defense Force (IDF), while U.S. Navy vessels have downed others.
In addition, the Houthi attacks on shipping have increased in recent weeks. Rebels boarded and hijacked a trading ship tied to Israel and took its crew of 25 as hostages. In addition, there have been a number of missile or drone attacks on naval or merchant vessels.
American and French Navy vessels have shot down multiple projectiles fired at them from Yemen.
The French Navy has announced that the FS Languedoc (D653), a FREMM-Multipurpose was able to Shoot Down a Attack Drone over the Red Sea as it was attempting to Strike the Norwegian-Flagged Oil/Chemical Tanker, M/V Strinda who was Severely Damaged last night by an Anti-Ship Cruise… pic.twitter.com/HUGxUp8EmV
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 12, 2023
In addition, an Israeli civilian trading ship was struck by an Iranian-made drone.
Separately, it was recently announced that an Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down a Houthi missile in October.
The Houthis, like Hamas, are backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The rebels control much of the western part of Yemen, a Middle Eastern country and are fighting the internationally-recognized government there.
As the attacks continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly stated that if the United States did not act more decisively to end the strikes, Israel would intervene.
