The US military stated that although the M/V Saibaba, a tanker flying the flag of Gabon and carrying Indians, reported no injuries, it did send out a distress signal to a neighboring US ship.
One of the ships, a chemical tanker named M/V Blaamanen, owned and operated by Norway, reported a near miss with a Houthi drone to an American naval ship patrolling the Southern Red Sea, the US military claimed.
According to the US military, a second ship, the M/V SAIBABA, reported that it was struck by a one-way attack drone; no injuries were reported, and the USS Laboon responded to the distress calls resulting from these strikes.
Prior to the most recent events, the US destroyer had shot down four drones that were coming from areas of Yemen that were controlled by the Houthis.
The Houthi rebels, who have routinely targeted ships in the Red Sea, claim to be acting in sympathy with Gaza by targeting Israeli-linked vessels; Iran has been implicated in yesterday’s attack on the MV Chem Pluto off the coast of India.
The Pentagon claims that a drone “fired from Iran” targeted the Japanese-owned MV Chem Pluto, which was attacked yesterday. However, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri asserted that the Houthi behave according to “own decisions and capabilities.”
Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, there has been an increase in attacks by ships in the Red Sea; major shipping companies have diverted their cargo vessels around the southern tip of Africa, even though longer voyages need more fuel.