By Al-Fassel and AFP | 2023-11-20

Japan said Monday (November 20) it was "directly approaching" Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis after they seized a ship operated by a Japanese firm in the Red Sea with around 25 crew members on board.

The Houthis seized the Galaxy Leader off the coast of Yemen's al-Hodeidah province on Sunday, days after they threatened to target Israeli vessels in the waterway over the Israel-Hamas in Gaza.

A Yemeni maritime source said the Houthis had "seized a commercial vessel" and took it to the port of Salif in al-Hodeidah, which the Iran-backed group controls.

According to three US officials, the Houthis seized the ship in a helicopter raid, with armed militants rappelling onto to the deck, NBC reported.

The Marine Traffic tracking site said the Galaxy Leader had "departed from Korfez, Turkey, and was on its way to Pipavav, India. Went offline on Saturday southwest of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia."

Japan said it "strongly condemns" the seizure of the Galaxy Leader, which is operated by the Japanese firm Nippon Yusen, also known as NYK Line of Japan.

Maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel's owner was listed as Ray Car Carriers, whose parent company belongs to Abraham "Rami" Ungar, an Israeli businessman.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the vessel was owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm.

Nippon Yusen confirmed it operates the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Tokyo was "communicating with Israel."

"In addition to directly approaching the Houthis, we are also urging Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran and other countries concerned to strongly urge the Houthis for the early release of the vessel and crew members," she said.

Israel said it had set up a task team to gather information and to ensure the safety of the 25-strong crew, which includes Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Filipinos and Mexicans, but no Israelis.

Iran denies involvement

Netanyahu's office characterized the capture as an "Iranian attack against an international vessel."

"The ship... was hijacked with Iran guidance by the Yemenite Houthi militia," it said.

On November 14, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the group was on the lookout for Israeli vessels in the Red Sea -- even those that did not have Israeli flags.

"Our eyes are open to constant monitoring and searching for any Israeli ship," he said in a speech broadcast by the group's Al-Masirah TV station.

The Houthis, declaring themselves part of the so-called "axis of resistance" of Iran-affiliated groups, have launched a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel since October, following a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

Iran, which supports Hamas financially and militarily, has hailed the October 7 attacks as a "success" but denied any direct involvement.

It has repeatedly warned of a widening conflict, and earlier this month, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the intensity of the war has rendered its expansion "inevitable."

Yet Iran on Monday dismissed as "invalid" Israel's accusations that the Houthis were acting on Tehran's "guidance" when they seized the ship in the Red Sea.

"We have repeatedly announced that the resistance groups in the region represent their countries and make decisions and act based on the interests of their countries," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi has said Iran sees it as "its duty to support the resistance groups" but insisted that they "are independent in their opinion, decision and action."

In a lengthy televised speech delivered November 3, Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah, another Iranian proxy, lavished praise on Hamas while pointedly maintaining distance from the Palestinian terrorist group.

Violation of international law

Israel's military, writing on X, said "the hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis... is a very grave incident of global consequence."

A US military official said the seizure of the vessel "is a flagrant violation of international law."

"We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew. We will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps," the official said.

The United States has sent two aircraft carrier groups to the eastern Mediterranean as part of efforts to deter a wider war.

Analysts have said the goal of the Houthis is strategic rather than military as the Iran-backed group seeks regional and domestic legitimacy.

"The assertion that eight waves of Houthi missile and drone launches from Yemen failed to hit targets inside Israel might have influenced the decision to refocus on the Red Sea arena," said Mohammed al-Basha, senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group.