Maersk says container ship targeted by missile near Red Sea entrance
Danish shipping company Maersk said Thursday that one of its vessels was targeted by a missile near the entrance of the Red Sea, calling recent attacks on ships in the region "extremely concerning."
The incident involving the Maersk Gibraltar happened near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to Reuters, just days after a Norwegian tanker was attacked by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the same area.
Maersk told the news agency that the container ship was heading from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the time of the targeting and the crew and ship have reported themselves safe.
"The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Bad al-Mandab Strait are extremely concerning. The current situation puts seafarer lives at risk and is unsustainable for global trade," the company said in a statement.
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"As it cannot be solved by the global shipping industry on its own, we call on political action to ensure a swift de-escalation," it added.
Earlier today, Iran warned that a proposed U.S.-backed task force to protect ships from being attacked in the Red Sea would cause "extraordinary problems" in the region.
The comments from Iran's Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani – published by the Iranian Student News Agency, according to Reuters – come after a U.S. defense official said the Navy destroyer USS Mason shot down a Houthi drone coming out of Yemen on Wednesday.
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"If they make such an irrational move, they will be faced with extraordinary problems," Ashtiani was quoted as saying. "Nobody can make a move in a region where we have predominance."
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said earlier this week that "the actions that we've seen from these Houthi forces are disturbing [and] rising" following a missile attack on a Norwegian commercial tanker in the Red Sea on Monday.
"They're dangerous and clearly a flagrant violation of international law. And so this is an international problem that requires an international solution. We do continue to consult closely with our international allies and partners on implementing a maritime task force," Ryder said during a press briefing.