The ship attacked by Yemeni Houthi rebels was full of grain for Iran, the group’s main sponsor

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Greek-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier attacked by Houthi rebels in Yemen earlier this week was carrying a cargo of grain destined for Iran, the group’s main backer, authorities said Thursday.

The attack on the Laax came amid ongoing Houthis attacks on shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor, designed to put pressure on Israel and the West over the war in Gaza. However, as shipping traffic on this artery has declined during the months of attacks, the rebels have attacked ships linked to Iran, as well as Tehran’s economic lifelines, China and Russia.

After the attack, the Laax’s target was initially given as Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. On Thursday, however, the target was apparently given as Bandar Khomeini in Iran.

A statement from the United Arab Emirates-based French Navy, which patrols the Middle East, also said the ship’s grain shipment was headed to Iran. A team from Djibouti had examined the damage caused by the attack, which is said to have involved both drones and missiles, and found no dangerous explosives left on board the ship.

Images released by the French Navy showed damage to both the ship’s waterline and its deck.

During the hours-long attack on Tuesday, five missiles hit the Laax, the private security company LSS-SAPU told The Associated Press. LSS-SAPU, which previously helped evacuate sailors from the Rubymar, which was attacked by the Houthis and later sank, said there had been no prior warning by radio from the Houthis.

At the time of the attack, three armed security guards were on board the Laax, the LSS-SAPU. Among the ship’s crew were 13 Filipinos and one Ukrainian, the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers said in a statement.

The Houthis have stepped up attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in recent months and are demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza that has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage.

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According to the US Maritime Administration, the Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks on ships since November, killing three sailors, hijacking one ship and sinking another.

On Wednesday, another US MQ-9 Reaper drone apparently crashed in Yemen. The Houthis claimed they had fired a surface-to-air missile at it. The US Air Force reported no missing aircraft, raising suspicions that the drone may have been piloted by the CIA. Up to three drones may have been lost this month alone.

Jon Gambrell, Associated Press