Japan has condemned the hijacking of a Japanese-operated, British-owned cargo ship in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The Yemeni militia claimed the vessel was Israeli, and a spokesman said the seizure was only the beginning of a “battle at sea”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the Houthi’s backer, Iran, for the hijacking.
Mr Netanyahu said neither the vessel nor the crew were Israeli, and called it an “Iranian attack on an international ship”.
Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen – also known as NYK Line – said the ship, named Galaxy Leader, was carrying 25 crew members when it was seized near Hodeida, Yemen on its way to India.
Those on board are believed to include Bulgarian, Mexican, Filipino and Ukrainian nationals.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, a spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi rebels, said on X, formerly Twitter, the group’s seizure of the vessel was only “the start” of its fighters waging “battle at sea”.
Houthi’s military spokesman, Yahya al-Sarea, claimed the ship was Israeli and had been taken to a port in Yemen.
Galaxy Leader is owned by Galaxy Maritime, which is registered in the Isle of Man. It is owned by Ray Car Carriers, which is co-owned by Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar, according to documents from the Isle of Man Government’s Companies registry.
The Houthis had earlier threatened to target any Israeli ship within their reach in response to Israel’s retaliatory military action in the Gaza Strip following the 7 October attack by Hamas militants.
Israel says 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 taken hostage during the surprise Hamas attack on the south of the country.
Israel has launched a massive military operation – involving air and artillery strikes as well as ground troops – with the aim of eliminating Hamas.
The Hamas-run health ministry says the death toll in Gaza since then has reached 12,300. More than 2,000 more are feared to be buried under rubble.
Earlier this month, the Houthis shot down a US military drone off Yemen’s coast, American officials said.
The Houthis have been locked in a prolonged civil war with Yemen’s official government – backed by Saudi Arabia – since 2014.
