US Navy Rescues Israeli-Linked Ship Before Missile Attack From Houthi-Controlled Yemen

The U.S. Navy rescued an Israeli-linked cargo ship, and arrested its assailants, before being attacked from Yemen on Sunday.

The Details: The Liberian-flagged Central Park, which was carrying phosphoric acid, was seized by five armed gunmen via a small boat, who eventually fled when the USS Mason responded to the ship’s distress signal. The Navy pursued the pirates, and arrested them. Shortly thereafter, two missiles, which did not hit the ship, were launched in its direction from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. Yemen’s internationally recognized government blamed the Houthis for the attack. The crew of 22 sailors from Bulgaria, Georgia, India, the Philippines, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam remained unharmed.

For Context: The confrontation is the latest of naval incidents allegedly involving the Houthis, Iran, and U.S. near Yemen. The Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis, who recently declared war on Israel, hijacked an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea on November 13. Per the Pentagon, an Iranian-made drone bombed an Israeli-linked ship in the region overnight Friday. The Houthis were designated as a terrorist organization by former President Donald Trump during his final days in office, and quickly removed from the list when President Biden assumed office.

How The Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum covered the story similarly, and included context on other recent provocations. The Hill (Center bias) highlighted an attack carried out by Iran-backed militias on U.S. forces in Iraq on Tuesday, and “one-way attack drones” launched from Houthi territory that the U.S. shot down on Thursday.