U.S.-Owned Commercial Vessel Hit With Bomb In Red Sea

A U.S.-owned commercial vessel was hit with a bomb from a suicide drone in the Red Sea on Wednesday, marking the second time this week that an American ship has been struck by the Iranian-backed Houthis.

“At approximately 8:30 pm (Sanaa time) Jan. 17, an assessed one-way attack [Unmanned Aircraft System] was launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen and struck M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. “M/V Genco Picardy is a Marshall Islands flagged, U.S. owned and operated bulk carrier ship.”

“There were no injuries and some damage reported,” CENTCOM added. “M/V Genco Picardy is seaworthy and continuing underway.”

On Monday, Houthi terrorists fired an anti-ship ballistic missile, hitting a U.S.-owned and operated container ship off the coast of Yemen.

The missile hit the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged ship, U.S. Central Command reported.

British Maritime Security firm Ambrey stated that three missiles were reportedly launched by the Houthis; two did not reach the ship. Ambrey also noted that the missile hitting the ship reportedly caused a fire in a hold, Reuters reported.

On Tuesday, CENTCOM said that the U.S. Navy seized a sailing ship last week that was conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply the terrorist Houthi forces in Yemen.

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“U.S. Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller, supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), executed a complex boarding of the dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components,” USCENTCOM said. “Seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components. Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea.”