Multiple attacks target merchant ship off Yemen - UK agency

DUBAI — A series of attempted attacks using missiles and a sea drone targeted a merchant vessel off areas of Yemen held by Iran-backed Huthi rebels, a British maritime security agency said Friday.

A rocket-propelled grenade exploded Thursday near the ship off the city of Mokha, which overlooks the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.

A missile also exploded close to the same vessel, which later reported an attempted attack by an uncrewed surface vessel that was shot down by an armed security team on board, UKMTO said.

The drone "exploded a distance from the vessel," according to the agency, which is run by the British navy.

A fourth attack saw a missile splash into the sea near the ship, UKMTO said, adding that the crew and vessel were reported to be safe and continuing to the next port of call.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the operation was consistent with previous operations carried out by the Huthis, who have launched a flurry of drone and missile strikes on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November.

The rebels say they are fighting Israel as part of Iran's so-called "axis of resistance" in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war. 

Maritime security firm Ambrey also reported three attacks on a ship off Yemen's coast, saying they were aligned with previous operations claimed by the Huthis.

Noam Raydan, an expert tracking maritime attacks for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank, identified the vessel as the Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker Delta Blue, saying it was carrying a cargo of Iraqi crude oil destined for Greece. 

The MarineTraffic tracking website also said the oil tanker's destination was Greece.

The Huthis' anti-shipping campaign has disrupted maritime traffic in the Red Sea, which usually carries up to 12 percent of global trade.

Rebel chief Abdul Malik al-Huthi on Thursday hailed the decrease in maritime traffic as "a great victory," saying that 177 vessels had been targeted.

The attacks have triggered reprisal strikes by the United States and Britain on Huthi targets inside Yemen.

On Friday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces "destroyed two Iranian-backed Huthi anti-ship cruise missiles and one Huthi ground control station in Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen" over the past 24 hours.

US military forces also destroyed one Huthi uncrewed surface vessel in the Red Sea, CENTCOM said, noting that the "reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Huthis continues to threaten regional stability and security."