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A cargo ship partially owned by an Israeli businessman was hijacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on Sunday, Israel confirmed on Sunday, accusing Iran of directing the maritime piracy.
The cargo ship, Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, was leased from a British company partly owned by Israeli Rami Unger to a Japanese company.
The ship left a port in Turkey headed for India and sailed under the flag of the Bahamas. The Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the incident.
On board the ship are 25 crew members of different nationalities, including Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Filipinos, and Mexicans. No Israelis were onboard, the ministry said.
As a result of the attack, it received minor damage, and no crew members were injured.
The Prime Minister’s Office condemned the seizure, highlighting that the ship was not Israeli nor owned by Israelis.
“This is another act of Iranian terrorism which expresses a leap forward in Iran’s aggression against the citizens of the free world, and creates international implications regarding the security of global shipping lanes.”
Earlier on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, Yahya Sarea, said the group will target all ships owned or operated by Israeli companies.
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