A missile fired from Yemen hit a North American container ship in the Red Sea on Monday, according to the Associated Press, citing a source from maritime security companies.
The ship hit was the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, which was sailing in the Gulf of Aden. According to the AP, there were no reports of injuries or significant damage.
The ship is owned by Eagle Bulk, which said in a statement that the ship was hit by an “unidentified projectile” and that it suffered “limited” damage following the impact. The company confirmed that there were no injuries on board the ship, which was carrying steel products, and that the vessel is stable and moving away from the location where the impact occurred.
The attack is the first recognized by the Americans, after weeks of shelling by the Houthis in the Red Sea, who say they are attacking ships linked to Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The UK Defense Minister, Grant Shapps, has already said that the situation is being monitored and that, if the attacks do not stop, “we will have to make the decisions that have to be taken”. Last week, the United Kingdom and the United States bombed Houthi positions in an attack that NATO classified as “defensive”.
“Their behavior in the Red Sea is completely unacceptable,” said Shapps, quoted by the AP. “Our intention was to send a very clear message to the Houthis, which I think we achieved,” added the British minister.
Houthi rebels have accused the United States of shelling their positions in the port city of Hodeidah for days in response to the insurgents’ attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Since October 17, 2023, Houthi militants, supported by Iran, have been attacking several ships on international shipping routes.