Greek owned bulker is latest ship hit by Houthi missile

Houthi arms shipment intercepted by U.S, [Photo: U.S. Navy]

While efforts to degrade the capabilities of the Houthis to attack merchant shipping continue, they have not yet put a stop Houthi missile attacks on ships. Yesterday, (see earlier report) Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands flagged ship owned and operated by Stamford, Conn., headquartered Eagle Bulk Shipping, was struck by what U.S. Central Command says was an anti-ship ballistic missile fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The vessel reported no injuries or significant damage.

Today, another bulker, the 56,894 dwt Maltese-flagged, Greek-owned Zografia, operated by Vulcanus Technical Maritime Enterprise was struck by a Houthi missile at approximately 1:45 p.m. (Sanaa time) when 100 nautical miles northwest of Saleef, Yemen.

“The damage to the vessel is described minor and no injuries have been reported among the crew of 24 people, which comprises three Filipinos, 20 Ukrainians and one Georgian national,” Ekathimerini reports a spokesman for Vulcanus as saying, adding that there are no Greeks on board and that the vessel was sailing without cargo from Vietnam to Israel when struck. It is now headed to Suez for a detailed assessment.

HOUTHI MISSILES DESTROYED

Reporting the incident U.S. Central Command said that earlier in the day at approximately, 4:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Forces struck and destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles prepared to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

WEAPONS SEIZURE

Central Command has also released details of a January 11 action in which U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen.

“U.S. Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller (ESB 3), supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), executed a complex boarding of the dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components,” says CENTCOM. “Seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components. Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea.

“This is the first seizure of lethal, Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons (ACW) to the Houthis since the beginning of Houthi attacks against merchant ships in November 2023. The interdiction also constitutes the first seizure of advanced Iranian-manufactured ballistic missile and cruise missile components by the U.S. Navy since November 2019. The direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of weapons to the Houthis in Yemen violates U.N. Security Resolution 2216 and international law.

“Two U.S. Navy SEALs previously reported as lost at sea were directly involved in this operation.

“‘We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,’ said General Michael Erik Kurilla, USCENTCOM Commander.

“The dhow was deemed unsafe and sunk by U.S. Navy forces. Disposition of the 14 dhow crewmembers is being determined in accordance with international law.

“It is clear that Iran continues shipment of advanced lethal aid to the Houthis. This is yet another example of how Iran actively sows instability throughout the region in direct violation of U.N Security Resolution 2216 and International law,” said General Kurilla, “We will continue to work with regional and international partners to expose and interdict these efforts, and ultimately to reestablish freedom of navigation.”