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Yemen's Houthis keep up pressure with near miss on US-flagged tanker

Yemen's Houthis fired a. rocket that most likely targeted the Torm Thor in the Gulf of Aden. on Feb. 24 however missed the U.S.flagged oil tanker, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Monday, as the Iranaligned. militia actions up attacks on ships.

Shipping threats have actually escalated due to duplicated Houthi drone. and missile strikes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. because November in assistance of Palestinians in Gaza. U.S. and. British forces have actually reacted with a number of strikes on Houthi. centers however have actually up until now failed to stop the attacks.

The Iran-aligned Houthis recently sent shipping authorities. and insurers formal notice of what they called a ban on vessels. linked to Israel, the U.S. and Britain from cruising in. surrounding seas, looking for to strengthen their military project,. in advisories seen .

In the current attack, the rocket affected the water triggering. no damage nor injuries, CENTCOM included a post on X.

The Iran-aligned group said on Sunday that they had launched. an attack on the tanker.

The Torm Thor is being used as part of the U.S. government's. Tanker Security Program, which has aimed to strengthen oil shipping. choices for its armed forces in times of crisis, the U.S. Maritime Administration has actually said.

2 maritime security sources stated the vessel had a U.S. military escort.

The vessel's owner is Denmark's Torm although it does not. run the ship, delivering databases revealed.

Torm told it had halted sailings in the Red Sea and. the Gulf of Aden given that mid January for its fleet of 85 vessels. that it has complete control of.

Our choice to pause all transits through the southern. part of the Red Sea for TORM ran vessels stays unchanged,. focusing on the security and wellness of our team above all,. the group said.

The U.S. military likewise shot down in self-defence two. one-way unmanned aerial attack automobiles over the southern Red. Sea on Sunday, CENTCOM said.

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen,. have actually launched blowing up drones and missiles at commercial. vessels considering that Nov. 19 as a demonstration against Israel's military. operations in Gaza.

Ireland's trade minister on Monday explained the wave of. attacks on shipping in the Red Sea as really concerning and said. it was undesirable for the Houthis to try to interrupt trade.

Ships that are assisting in trade must not be. genuine targets for anyone, Simon Coveney informed in. Abu Dhabi.

He included that, while it was unsurprising that the U.S. and U.K. were trying to discourage the Houthis, the challenge with. military intervention, particularly in an unstable area, was. there was constantly a threat of intensifying stress and conflict.

ABANDONED RUBYMAR VESSEL

There were growing issues on Monday for the fate of the. deserted cargo vessel Rubymar after it was hit by a Houthi. missile on Feb 18 in the southern Red Sea and was leaking fuel.

Delivering sources stated weather in the area had aggravated in. current days with strong winds.

The Rubymar's owner is looking at pulling the vessel to Saudi. Arabia when a hole can be patched up, the ship's chartering. broker said on Monday.

She is still afloat with engine space and no. 5 hold under. water, Roy Khoury, CEO of Lebanon-based Blue Fleet Group, informed. by email.

Khoury said they were looking at bringing in a work ship. that will try to close the hole triggered by the Houthi. rocket.

There is a little fuel leakage, Khoury said, adding that. vessel was carrying 22,000 tonnes of fertiliser onboard.

We are contracting a yank boat to come alongside and tow the. vessel to a safe port. The problem is that neither Djibouti nor. Aden port authorities are accepting the vessel, Khouri said.

So, we are now looking at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

A Yemeni port source stated the vessel was far away from the. southern Yemeni port of Aden and the port had not been asked to. aid with the towing of the vessel.

A separate Yemeni federal government source said a group had gone to. the Rubymar on Monday and they observed oily patches floating on. the water surrounding it with part of the vessel sinking.

Djibouti authorities might not be immediately gotten in touch with.

The chaos from Israel's war with the Palestinian Islamist. group Hamas has actually overflowed to some extent into other parts of. the Middle East. Apart from the Houthi attacks on crucial shipping. lanes, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group has traded fire. with Israel along the Israel-Lebanon border and Iraqi militia. have assaulted bases that host U.S. forces.

(source: Reuters)