Houthis Claim Missile Attack on Maersk Ship, Fourth Attack in 24 Hours

The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen took responsibility on Tuesday for attacking the container ship Maersk Sentosa in the Arabian Sea — the fourth Houthi attack on commercial shipping in 24 hours. 

The Houthis said they fired ballistic missiles at the Maersk Sentosa and two other ships on Tuesday. On Wednesday, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a fourth ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait reported explosions nearby.

UKMTO said the captain of the Maersk Sentosa also reported explosions near his ship as he passed 180 nautical miles to the east of Nishtun, Yemen. The U.S. Navy’s Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) confirmed the attack and flagged it as the Houthi’s longest-range attack against international shipping since they launched their terror campaign in November.

“No injuries to the crew or damage to the ship or cargo were reported. The vessel is currently continuing her voyage towards her next port of call,” Danish shipping giant Maersk said in a statement on Tuesday.

Maersk described the Maersk Sentosa as a U.S.-flagged vessel sailing for the Maersk Line, Ltd. subsidiary, which often transports cargo for the American military and government agencies. 

JMIC also confirmed a Liberian-flagged ship, named Mount Fuji, was attacked south of Mocha on Wednesday. 

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree additionally claimed missile and drone attacks against the Malta-flagged container ship Marathopolis in the Arabian Sea and the Liberian-flagged Patnaree III in the Gulf of Aden. Saree claimed the Patnaree III was an “Israeli ship,” although it sails under the Liberian flag.

Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc told his company’s clients in July that he expected Houthi terrorism to continue disrupting Red Sea shipping into the third quarter of 2024 and beyond. Clerc warned that high shipping costs and delays were likely to grow even worse, as long detours around Africa to avoid Houthi attacks kept ships at sea for longer and reduced the availability of cargo containers.