The attack on the Laax comes as the Houthis continue
their attacks on shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor, part of a campaign
they say aims to pressure Israel and the West over the war in Gaza. However, as
shipping through that artery has dropped during the months of attacks, the rebels have struck vessels associated
with Iran, as well as Tehran’s economic lifelines of China and Russia.
Initially after the attack, the Laax had listed its
destination as Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. On Thursday, however, its
listed destination instead appeared to be Bandar Imam Khomeini, Iran.
A statement released by French naval forces based in
the UAE that patrol the Middle East also identified the vessel’s grain shipment as being bound for Iran. It said that a
team from Djibouti had inspected the damage caused by the attack, which it said
involved drones and missiles, and found no remaining dangerous explosives
onboard the ship.
Images released by the French navy showed damage at
the waterline of the vessel and on its deck.
Five missiles hit the Laax during Tuesday’s hours-long
assault, the private security firm LSS-SAPU told the Associated Press.
LSS-SAPU, which earlier helped evacuate mariners from the Houthi-attacked
Rubymar that later sunk, said there had been no warning by radio from the
Houthis.
LSS-SAPU had three armed security guards onboard the
Laax at the time of the attack. Among
the ship’s crew were 13 Filipinos and one Ukrainian, the Philippine Department
of Migrant Workers said in a statement.
The Houthis in recent months have stepped up attacks
on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, demanding that Israel end the
war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war
began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200
people and taking about 250 hostage.
The Houthis have launched more than 50
attacks on shipping, killed three sailors, seized one vessel and sunk another
since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration.
On Wednesday, another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper
drone apparently crashed in Yemen, with
the Houthis claiming they fired a surface-to-air missile at it. The U.S.
Air Force didn’t report any aircraft missing, leading to suspicion that the
drone may have been piloted by the CIA. As many as three may have been lost
this month alone.