Middle East crisis: Houthi rebels target two more vessels in Red Sea, including one carrying coal to India

Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Tuesday (Feb 6) they attacked two more ships in the Red Sea, causing damage to both of them. The US military’s Central Command also confirmed the missile attacks on Star Nasia and Morning Tide, the two vessels.

“Three of the Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBMs) were attempting to hit MV Star Nasia, a Marshall Island-flagged, Greek owned-and-operated bulk carrier transiting the Gulf of Aden,” the command said in an X post. The ship reported minor damage caused by a nearby explosion; however, the crew remained safe.

“The remaining three ASBMs were likely targeting MV Morning Tide, a Barbados-flagged, UK-owned cargo ship operating in the Southern Red Sea. The three missiles impacted the water near the ship without effect,” the command added.

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The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said the Greek-owned Star Nasia was en route to India from US and was carrying coal.

Watch:Houthis claim to have hit two merchant ships in the Red Sea

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the Morning Tide was heading south through the Red Sea after navigating the Suez Canal on Friday. Its most recent signal shows it sailing out of the Red Sea through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Diplomacy underway to tackle Houthi menace

Reuters reported that the US officials were focusing on diplomatic efforts to find a "climbdown" for Yemen's Houthis. In a video released Tuesday, the US envoy to Yemen said a face-saving solution to ending their attacks on ships in the Red Sea was being figured out.

Envoy Tim Lenderking said this to a think tank before flying to Oman for talks on the crisis, which has led the US and allies to launch retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets.

Global disruption continues

The Red Sea attacks by Houthi rebels have disrupted global shipping routes, forcing operators to steer clear of troubled waters and opt for longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa.

The United States and Britain began striking Houthi targets in Yemen last month in retaliation for the attacks on Red Sea shipping.

(With inputs from agencies)