Houthi missile hits US-owned bulk carrier in Gulf of Aden after US strikes

Iranian-backed Houthi militants struck a US-owned and operated bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden Jan. 15 in the first major attack by the militants since US-led forces struck Houthi military sites in Yemen over the weekend.

The M/V Gibraltar Eagle was struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen at around 13:00 GMT, the US Central Command said in a statement, adding that the ship reported no injuries or significant damage and was continuing its journey. Separately, the UK's Maritime Trade Operations reported that a vessel in the Gulf of Aden was hit "on the port side from above" by a missile.

The 64,000 dwt Gibraltar Eagle, which last departed South Korea's Pohang port on Dec. 24, was seen heading east away from the Bab al-Mandab Strait after sharply U-turning earlier in the day, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea vessels tracking.

The US Central Command also confirmed that, earlier in the day, US forces detected an anti-ship ballistic missile fired toward the southern Red Sea commercial shipping lanes. "The missile failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen. There were no injuries or damage reported," it said.

Meanwhile, shipping industry body BIMCO said it has been advised that the Red Sea shipping route remains "unstable" and continues to recommend shipping companies to "consider avoiding shipping operations in the area and reposition to north of 18N or east of 46E."

BIMCO, whose members cover 62% of the world's tonnage, on Jan. 12 advised its members to halt Red Sea transit for up to 72 hours as a result of the US strikes and the potential for wider escalation. Intertanko, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, also recommended its members to halt Red Sea transit for up to 24 hours.