US official: Cargo ship escapes missile fired by Houthis in the Red Sea

A missile was launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward a ship in the Red Sea. Still, it hit the water, according to a US official and a maritime security company on Thursday.

On Thursday, the Danish shipping giant Maersk announced that one of its container ships had experienced an "incident" in the Red Sea en route from Oman to Saudi Arabia, confirming that the crew was unharmed.

In a statement, Maersk stated, "The crew and the vessel are safe," adding, "At this time, we are still working to confirm the facts of the incident."

An unnamed US official told Agence France-Presse (AFP), "We have indications that a missile was launched at the Maersk Gibraltar ship from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, but it missed the ship and hit the water."

Maersk stated, "Recent attacks on trade ships in the Bab el Mandeb Strait are extremely concerning."

It added, "The current situation puts the lives of sailors at risk and is intolerable for global trade. Since it cannot be solved through the global shipping sector alone, we call for political measures to ensure a swift de-escalation."

The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the incident so far.

According to the maritime security company Ambrey, the container ship, owned by the Marshall Islands and flying the flag of Hong Kong, suffered a missile water hit while passing 45 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni city Mocha. Ambrey confirmed that the ship's crew was unharmed.

The Maersk Gibraltar is a 340-meter-long container ship built in 2016, heading from Salalah in Oman to the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, according to MarineTraffic, a vessel tracking website.

Ambrey mentioned that the Yemeni Navy had requested the ship to head to the Yemeni coast, but the crew refused to comply with the orders, leading to the vessel being targeted later.

It noted that the parent company (owner of the ship) had previously cooperated with an Israeli carrier, but it was not assessed that an Israeli company operated this particular ship.

AFP