A Greek-owned merchant ship was hit by a missile off Yemen, British maritime security company Ambrey reported. According to the Greek news agency Ana-mpa, the bulk carrier, named Zografia, was hit by a missile while transiting the Red Sea area 76 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef. The blow caused serious damage to the ship, which at the moment, however, does not affect its seaworthiness. There are 24 crew members on board the bulk carrier.
All 24, however, are in good health. This was reported by a spokesperson for Vulcanis Technical Maritime Enterprises, the Piraeus-based company that owns the cargo vessel. The bulk carrier was hit by a missile as it transited 76 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef. The crew consists of three Filipino men, 20 Ukrainians and one Georgian. The ship, reports the Ana-mpa agency, had left Vietnam for Israel. It now continues its route to Suez, where a damage assessment will be carried out.
Sources, broad consensus among the 27 on an EU mission in the Red Sea
There seems to be "a broad consensus" among the 27 EU member states on the need to act "quickly and pragmatically" to ensure navigation in the Red Sea and counter the Houthis by creating an EU mission. This was assured by a diplomatic source to ANSA. The Politico-Military Group will now be asked to provide its "recommendations" and the EU Military Committee to provide military guidance on the concept of crisis management "as soon as possible".
In the morning, the possibility of launching an EU mission in the area was addressed to the Political and Security Committee (Cops) and "the will" was "expressed" to proceed with the proposal of the External Action Service to create a mission on the basis of the already existing Agenor - French led - and with an area of operations "from the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea". Agenor is the military branch of the wider European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH), which was launched on 20 January 2020 with a joint European declaration of support and has been fully operational since 25 February 2020. Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal are currently participating in the operation. The European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz "aims to ensure a safe shipping environment, contribute to the de-escalation of tensions and facilitate an inclusive regional dialogue in the Strait of Hormuz," the mission's website reads.
Navy seal operation, seizure of missiles from Iran to Houthis
The U.S. Central Command in a post on X announced that in a spectacular operation, U.S. Navy seals, supported by planes, helicopters and drones, boarded a boat near the coast of Somalia in the international waters of the Arabian Sea and seized Iranian-made missiles and components that were supposed to supply the Houthi militias Yemen. Cruise missiles were also among the weapons seized. This same type of weapon was used by the Houthis to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea. In the operation, two Navy seals are missing at sea.
The seizure on January 11, says the U.S. Central Command on X, is the first seizure of lethal advanced conventional weapons supplied by Iran to the Yemeni Houthis since the start of attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, since November 2023. "It is clear that Tehran continues to send lethal aid to the Houthis. This is another example of how Iran is actively sowing instability throughout the region in direct violation of UN Security Resolution 2216 and international law," said U.S. General Michael Erik Kurilla, "We will continue to work as regional and international partners to denounce and interdict these efforts and ultimately restore freedom of navigation." The dhow was sunk.
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