Houthis claim responsibility for launching attack on two ships with drones

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for launching an attack on two ships by naval drones, group military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement published on X on Monday.

The Houthis identified the two ships to be the Swan Atlantic and MSC Clara, the spokesperson added.

The M/V Swan Atlantic was attacked on Monday in the southern Red Sea by multiple projectiles launched from Houthi-controlled territory, US officials told Reuters on Monday, as additional companies announced that they would be halting transit through the Red Sea.

The USS Carney has responded to its distress call by moving toward the ship, the officials added.

UKMTO WARNING 012/DEC/23INCIDENThttps://t.co/a6eYax4Zi0#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/SnaxynGywL

— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) December 18, 2023

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported four separate incidents off the coast of Yemen in and near the Bab El Mandeb strait. The first reported incident took place 30 nautical miles south of the port of Mokha in Yemen.

A little later in the morning, a second incident was reported in the waters 30 nautical miles northwest of Mokha, according to the UKMTO. The reported incident was being investigated by authorities and details about the incident were as of yet unclear.

A third incident was reported later in the day 24 nautical miles south east of Mokha, according to the UKMTO. The reported incident was being investigated by authorities and details about the incident were as of yet unclear.

A fourth incident was reported on Monday afternoon, 63 nautical miles north west of Djibouti. The reported incident was being investigated by authorities and details about the incident were as of yet unclear.

The UKMTO advised vessels in the area to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

Additionally, on Monday, Reuters reported that Italy is considering whether to join a Western naval coalition meant to protect ships in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis, citing a source close to the matter.

The Italian source, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Rome had been asked to join the operation and a decision would be made by the end of this week.

The BP oil company announced on Monday that it was temporarily halting all oil tanker transits through the Red Sea due to the Houthi attacks, joining other lines which have made similar decisions, including MSC, AP Moller-Maersk, CMA CHM, and Hapag-Lloyd.

Later, the Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen said that it has decided to temporarily stop accepting Israeli cargo with immediate effect and instructed its container ships to suspend navigation through the Red Sea until further notice.

Evergreen added that ships on regional services to Red Sea ports will sail to safe waters nearby and wait for further notification, while container ships which are scheduled to pass through the Red Sea will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope to continue their voyages to destination ports.

Houthis claim they're only targeting Israel-linked ships

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the head of a Houthi delegation in peace talks with Saudi Arabia, claimed on Sunday that the Houthis were only targeting Israeli ships and vessels headed to Israeli ports.