“U.S. Navy aids Israeli-linked tanker; faces attack, arrests suspects, amid regional tensions.”
“A U.S. Navy ship responded to a distress call from an Israeli-linked tanker off the Yemen coast and faced gunfire, as per information from Fox News.
U.S. Navy personnel aboard the USS Mason, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean, rushed to aid the Liberian-flagged Central Park. The tanker, managed by Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, reported being attacked by suspected pirates while navigating the International Recommended Transit Corridor.
Reports state that armed individuals boarded the tanker from a skiff, attempting to breach the crew’s safe room, before retreating to Yemen’s shores. The Navy intervened, firing warning shots and being assisted by a Japanese destroyer. The captured suspects are now in U.S. military custody under anti-piracy protocols.
Following the arrests, Houthi forces fired ballistic missiles at USS Mason, which fortunately fell short. Zodiac confirmed the crew’s safety and thanked the naval coalition for their swift response.
This incident, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, isn’t the first targeting Zodiac Maritime. Earlier, a drone attack, attributed to Iran, hit another vessel owned by Zodiac off Oman’s coast.
Additionally, another Israeli-owned ship encountered an attack believed to involve an Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean. These assaults on shipping reflect the escalating tensions within the region’s conflicts, despite truces attempting to ease the situation.”
