Washington [US], February 14: Iran-backed Houthi rebels have attacked an Iran-bound merchant ship in the Red Sea, the US military said in the early hours of Tuesday.
Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired two missiles towards the Greek-owned MV Star Iris at about 3:30 am local time (0030 GMT) on Monday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, formerly Twitter.
The Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel, which was transiting the Red Sea carrying corn from Brazil, suffered minor damage but reported no injuries and remained seaworthy, CENTCOM said.
"Of note, the MV Star Iris's destination is Bandar Iman Khomeini, Iran," CENTCOM added. The Iran-linked Houthis had identified the vessel as US-linked on Monday and confirmed hitting it while it travelled in waters off Yemen.
The armed group said that the ship was targeted with "a number of suitable naval missiles" in "accurate and direct" strikes.
Yahya Saree, the Houthis military spokesman said that the attack on the vessel, owned by the US-listed, Greece-based firm Star Bulk Carriers Corp, came "in vindication of the oppressed Palestinian people, in support and solidarity with our brothers in the Gaza Strip".
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that a vessel was attacked by two missiles at 00:35 GMT some 40 nautical miles (74km) south of al-Mukha (Mocha) in Yemen.
"The crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to next port of call," it said, advising transit through waters near Yemen with caution.
The militia has vowed to attack ships in the Red Sea linked to Israel. However, many of the ships that have come under fire have no connection to the country. The Houthis say they want to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which followed the unprecedented massacre by the Palestinian organization Hamas in Israel on October 7 last year.
Because of the continuing Houthi attacks, major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe and sailing around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope.
Source: Qatar Tribune
