Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have launched an attack on a merchant ship in the Red Sea near Yemen.
A spokesman for the Houthi armed forces said that the organization used a maritime drone to target a Liberian-flagged ship named “Tutor”.
The Royal Navy’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office said it received reports on Wednesday that a ship was attacked on its stern about 66 nautical miles southwest of the rebel-controlled port of Hodeidah in Yemen.
The ship was taking on water and was not under the command of the crew, the UK Maritime Trade Organization reported. No casualties were reported.
The statement added that the ship had been hit by a “UFO” for a second time and that military authorities were providing assistance.
A Houthi spokesman said in a statement that the ship was attacked by “an unmanned surface craft, multiple drones and ballistic missiles”, adding that the ship was “severely damaged and could easily sink” .
The ship was targeted “because the company that owns it violated the decision to ban access to occupied Palestinian ports,” the statement said.
U.S. Central Command (CentCom) reported that “an Iranian-backed Houthi unmanned surface vessel (USV)” attacked the Mentor, said to be a Greek-owned and operated vessel that had recently docked in Russia.
A release on X said the impact “caused severe flooding and cabin damage.”
Central Command added that in the past 24 hours, its forces had “successfully destroyed” three anti-ship cruise missile launchers in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen, as well as an unmanned aerial system launched from areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen. .
“The Iran-backed Houthis continue to engage in malicious and reckless actions that threaten regional stability and endanger the lives of seafarers in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” the report said.
The Houthis see themselves as part of an Iranian-led “axis of resistance” against Israel, the United States and the wider West, and have declared support for the Palestinians in Gaza.
The rebel group has been carrying out attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November on ships it claims are linked to Israel and say their actions are in support of the Palestinians.
The United States and Britain responded with a series of attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen, leading the Houthis to retaliate against ships they believed were linked to those countries.
Rebel attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea have prompted many shipping companies to stop using the waterway, through which about 12% of global seaborne trade passes.
Respectively, UN says Yemen’s Houthis have detained two more of their employeesbringing the total number of people arrested by the gang in the past week to 13.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said those detained included a staff member of the organization. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said on June 1 that he was “deeply concerned” about the situation.
