U.S. Navy got control of captured Israeli-linked Tanker
A U.S. Navy warship, while responding to an agony call from the Central Park, a commercial tanker seized by armed individuals in the Gulf of Aden, successfully secured the vessel. The tanker, carrying phosphoric acid, was identified as the Central Park by its company, Zodiac Maritime. The attackers were not identified. On Sunday, attackers seized control of the Central Park, a tanker associated with Israel, off the coast of Aden, Yemen, as reported by authorities
The Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, was seized in the Gulf of Aden. The U.S. military, including the USS Mason, responded to the seizure, demanding the release of the tanker. Five armed individuals attempted to flee but were pursued by the USS Mason, resulting in their surrender. Subsequently, two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen, landing about 10 nautical miles from the vessels with no reported damage or injuries.
prolonged civil war
This incident is part of a series of attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Houthi rebels, engaged in a prolonged civil war with Yemen’s official government backed by Saudi Arabia, have recently seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea.
The broader context reveals an escalation of attacks on global shipping amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, with incidents involving other vessels, such as the CMA CGM Symi owned by an Israeli billionaire, being targeted in the Indian Ocean. These events unfold within the framework of a weeks-long war that, despite a truce temporarily halting hostilities, poses a risk of evolving into a wider regional conflict. The situation is complicated further as Hamas engages in hostage exchanges with Israel for Palestinian prisoners.
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While on the other side the truce between Israel and Hamas is ending on Monday. There have been efforts put forward by US and other key mediators like Qatar and Saudia Arab to extend this deal. Both sides, Hamas and Israel have blamed each other for the delay in the arrangements made for the completion of truce.