Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched attacks on six ships across three different seas, the Iran-backed group announced on Wednesday. Among the targeted vessels was the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Laax, which sustained damage from a missile strike off the Yemeni coast. Security and shipping sources confirmed the Laax was hit during a barrage of attacks on Tuesday.
In a televised speech, the Houthis claimed responsibility for targeting the Morea and Sealady in the Red Sea, the Alba and Maersk Hartford in the Arabian Sea, and the Minerva Antonia in the Mediterranean. However, Ed Hanley, Chief Operating Officer of US-based Maersk Line, clarified that the US-flagged Maersk Hartford container ship had not been subject to any drone or missile attack. “I can’t speak to the other five ships, but the Hartford is fine,” Hanley said in a telephone interview. “Nothing happened.”
As a proxy group supported by Iran, the Houthis began targeting maritime commercial traffic in mid-November, following a call from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for Muslim countries to blockade Israel. Initially, these attacks were confined to the Red Sea but later expanded to other major waterways, including the Indian Ocean. The Houthis have declared their intent to attack any ships heading toward Israeli ports, even in the Mediterranean, and have identified US and UK-affiliated vessels as targets.
The Laax, which was carrying grain, was struck by five missiles fired from Yemen. Despite the damage, the vessel was able to continue its voyage, and the crew remained unharmed, according to its security company, LSS-SAPU. “The vessel has sustained damage, she is not taking water, she is not tilting and there are no wounded onboard,” a spokesperson for LSS-SAPU stated. “She is proceeding to her destination at a normal speed.”
LSS-SAPU, which had previously evacuated the crew from the Rubymar ship that sank after a Houthi missile strike earlier this year, emphasized that the Laax’s Greece-based owner had no ties to Israel or the United States. According to LSEG shipping data, the Laax last reported its position on May 28, en route to Bandar Imam Khomeini in Iran.
The ongoing Houthi campaign has already sunk one ship, the Rubymar, and included the seizure of another vessel, as well as the killing of three crew members in a separate attack. This campaign has significantly disrupted global shipping, compelling vessels to avoid the nearby Suez Canal and reroute their trade around Africa.
