News / Crew abandons ship after Red Sea missile attack, despite US fight-back

Photo: VesselFinder

The crew abandoned ship after a missile attack on general cargo vessel Rubymar last night, some 35 miles from the Yemen coast, despite US naval strikes over the weekend which were claimed to have reduced Houthi capabilities.

Over the weekend, the US also intercepted a Houthi-controlled unmanned subsurface vehicle (USV), and news also emerged of a US cyber-attack on the Iranian spy ship, MV Behshad (pictured),at anchor off Djibouti, just over a week ago.

On Saturday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had “…identified the anti-ship cruise missiles, unmanned underwater vessel and the unmanned surface vessel in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region”.

The US Navy launched strikes against the drones on Saturday, added CENTCOM.

The Behshad is a known Iranian spy ship, disguised as a geared multipurpose vessel, and is suspected of supplying Houthi militias with intelligence on merchant and naval movements on the approach to the Bab Al-Mandeb strait.

With little chance of competing with the US Navy’s carrier groups in conventional warfare, Iran instead maintains a fleet of cheaper drones and ships disguised to look like cargo vessels, but which are actually forward operating bases. These have been implicated in a number of incidents of ‘kidnapping’ US naval drones, and even as staging points for drone attacks.

Almost two weeks ago, Iran warned, via a video uploaded to Telegram, that what it called “terrorist activities” against MV Behshad “or similar vessels” would result in “further escalation and assume global responsibility for potential future international risks”. Other known Iranian spy ships include the MV Saviz, apparently no longer active after it was damaged in an explosion in 2019.

Successfully taking MV Behshad offline may have hindered Houthi intelligence-gathering on ship movements and might play a role in reducing missile strikes on passing vessels.

It was understood soon after the attacks began that the Houthis had information sources beyond that available through AIS, after several vessels turned off their transponders in a largely unsuccessful attempt to dodge attacks. A joint statement by shipping industry associations BIMCO, ICS, CLIA, IMCA, Intercargo, Intertanko, IMCA and OCIMF advised that switching off AIS “…could make a ship harder to locate, but it is unlikely to ultimately prevent an attack”.

Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, pointed to uncertainties over Rubymar’s provenance on LinkedIn this morning. “It is owned by Golden Adventure Shipping, which according to Lloyds List, is registered on the Marshall Islands, however it also lists an owner address in the UK.

“According to security firm Ambrey, the vessel is operated out of Lebanon,” he said. “A Houthi spokesman acknowledged the attack, stating the vessel was British and claimed the vessel is now at risk of sinking.”

Mr Jensen, who has covered Red Sea developments in LinkedIn posts since the crisis began, said on Saturday he did not believe the Houthi’s claims that attacks would stop in the event of an Israel-Palestine ceasefire. He wrote: “…it appears more to be a targeted and deliberate (and successful) campaign to create regional instability – and the more nations that are pulled into the conflict, the larger the potential for instability.”

Meanwhile, an open letter cosigned by various shipping industry associations has demanded the release of 25 seafarers held captive by the Houthis since the capture of ro-ro vessel Galaxy Leader in November.

“The 25 seafarers who make up the crew of the Galaxy Leader are innocent victims of the ongoing aggression against world shipping, and their plight is a major concern as the merchant shipping community continues to come under attack,” the letter said.

“It is abhorrent that seafarers were seized by military forces and that they have been kept from their families and loved ones for too long. All 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader must be released now,” it added.