On the evening of January 15, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the Houthi forces in Yemen had just used an anti-ship ballistic missile to attack the US-owned ship M/V Gibraltar Eagle but there were no casualties.
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| The US-owned ship M/V Gibraltar Eagle was hit by a Houthi missile on January 15 in the Red Sea. (Source: Twitter) |
Earlier, the British Maritime Security and Risk Management Company said that a US cargo ship was hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen.
A fire broke out on the Marshall Islands-flagged ship but the ship continued its voyage and there were no reports of casualties.
Meanwhile, Reuters news agency reported on the same day that at least six oil tankers had to change their routes on January 15 to avoid passing through the southern Red Sea.
Thus, since the US and UK launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, up to 15 ships have had to change course, passing the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to reach Europe or the US.
On the same day, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his government believed that the US-led attack on the night of January 11-12 against Houthi rebels in Yemen destroyed all planned targets and there were no reports of civilian casualties.
This is Mr Sunak's first comment to the UK Parliament on the controversial attacks, which the leader said were a "necessary and proportionate response" to threats to British ships from Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
Prime Minister Sunak also left open the possibility that the UK could take further military action, saying: "We remain ready to back up our words with action."
Similar to the head of government, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, speaking to Sky News , also affirmed: "If we have to take further action, that is something we will consider, but our intention is to send a clear message to the Houthis and so far, that is what has been achieved."
Affirming that what needs to be done is only to stop the Houthis, British officials said that London will only take further action if necessary and has no plans to increase attacks against Houthi forces.
“We cannot be in a situation where they are trying to disrupt freedom of navigation and we are just standing by and watching,” Mr Shapps stressed.
Previously, on January 12, the US and British militaries carried out dozens of airstrikes on targets in four provinces in different regions of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the cities of Al Hudaydah, Taizz and Sadah in response to Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saria later said the US and UK had carried out 73 strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, killing five fighters and wounding six others. Despite the US and UK strikes, the Houthis continued to target ships.
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