DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — A bulk carrier ship transporting a cargo of grain bound for Iran was damaged during an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels earlier this week, the Associated Press reported, citing authorities in the region.
The May 28 attack on the Greek-owned, Marchall Islands-flagged ship Laax comes as the Houthis continue their attacks on shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor, part of a campaign they say aims at pressuring Israel and the West over the war in Gaza.
Initially, the Laax had listed its destination as Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. On May 30, however, its listed destination instead appeared to be Bandar Khomeini, Iran.
A statement released by French naval forces based in the UAE that patrol the Middle East also identified the vessel’s grain shipment as being bound for Iran. It said that a team from Djibouti at the southern entrance to the Red Sea had inspected the damage caused by the attack, which it said involved both drones and missiles, and found no remaining dangerous explosives onboard the ship. Images released by the French navy showed damage both at the waterline of the vessel, as well as on its deck.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, killed three sailors, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.
The ongoing attacks have caused shipping companies transporting bulk commodities, such as grain, to divert deliveries away from the Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, a move that adds to the journey and the cost of shipping.
