gunmen board an oil tanker linked to Israel, triggering an intervention by coalition forces

“The crew of the M/V Central Park is currently safe,” a US official commented, without specifying where the sailors were. The ship had received threats from the Houthi rebels, supported by Iran.

An oil tanker belonging to a company linked to Israel was boarded in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday, November 26, off the coast of Yemen. The United States and coalition forces intervened and “the crew of the M/V Central Park is currently safe”, however, an American Defense official told AFP. It is not immediately known whether the crew members remained on board the ship.

“It appears that an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals seized the vessel“another American official told AFP earlier, adding that “US and coalition forces are in the area and are closely monitoring the situation”. A merchant ship in the area reported that the tanker was “approached by eight people, wearing military uniforms, on board two boats”commented the maritime security company Ambrey.

Yemeni rebels supported by Iran

The shipping firm recalled that the Houthis had threatened to attack the tanker on Saturday if it did not divert to the port of Hodeida, and that a US coalition warship intercepted the rebels’ message and demanded has Central Park not to take it into account. According to Ambrey, the ship’s owner, Zodiac Maritime, said the 22 crew members included Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals, as well as a Turkish captain.

Yemeni rebels have threatened to attack Israeli ships and ships belonging to Israel’s allies sailing in the Red Sea, in retaliation for the war waged by the Israeli army against Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. The boarding comes after a cargo ship belonging to an Israeli businessman was damaged in a suspected Iranian drone attack in the Indian Ocean on Friday, and a week after the Houthis captured a cargo ship linked to Israel in the southern Red Sea.

The rebels are part of what they describe as an “axis of resistance” against Israel, along with groups supported by Iran, such as Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah. They fired a series of drones and missiles towards Israel and many of the devices were intercepted by Israeli defenses or American warships.