Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group launched missiles towards a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Red Sea, but fortunately, they missed the vessel, stated the U.S. Central Command on Tuesday.
According to CENTCOM, two anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired at the Pinocchio from Yemeni territory, resulting in no damage or injuries.
Earlier on Tuesday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed that the group had successfully targeted and struck the ship, which he identified as “American.”
The Pinocchio, a Liberian-flagged container ship, is owned by the Singapore-registered company OM-MAR 5 INC, as confirmed by shipping databases operated by Equasis and the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Sarea mentioned that the Houthi group intends to escalate their military activities during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in solidarity with Palestinians, in response to the conflict in Gaza.
The continuous Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, compelling companies to reroute vessels through longer and costlier routes around southern Africa. This situation has also raised concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread, potentially destabilizing the wider Middle East.
Both the United States and Britain have conducted airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and have reclassified the militia as a terrorist group.
Airstrikes, attributed to a U.S.-British coalition, struck port cities and small towns in western Yemen on Monday, resulting in the death of at least 11 people and injuring 14, according to a spokesperson for Yemen’s internationally recognized government speaking to Reuters.
CENTCOM reported conducting six self-defense strikes on Monday in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. These strikes targeted and destroyed an unmanned underwater vessel along with 18 anti-ship missiles, which CENTCOM deemed as posing an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region.
