On Wednesday, January 22nd, the Houthi rebels in Yemen released the crew members of the “Galaxy Leader” cargo ship that had been detained in the Red Sea for over a year. The rebels announced that they would halt attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The Red Sea serves as a crucial trade route between Asia and Europe. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, ship owners and brokers revealed that the Houthi militants had attacked over 100 passing ships in the past year, sinking two of them and forcing container ships to divert to the route around South Africa.
The Houthi armed group declared last weekend that they would cease attacks on transiting ships as long as the ceasefire agreement remains in effect. However, major container shipping operators mentioned that it would take some time to fully implement security measures.
In November 2023, the Houthi rebels boarded the “Galaxy Leader” cargo ship and anchored it near the coast of Yemen. The crew of the ship consisted of 25 sailors from the Philippines, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Mexico.
The vessel is owned by Ray Car Carriers company, registered in the Isle of Man, with one of the owners being Israeli businessman Abraham “Rami” Ungar. At the time of the incident, the ship was operated by Nippon Yusen K.K., a Japanese shipping company.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi stated in a declaration that if the ceasefire agreement collapses, the Houthi militants might resume attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea.
On Tuesday, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the Vice President of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, welcomed the inauguration of U.S. President Trump in an interview with Reuters on Monday, January 21st. He believed that Trump’s strong leadership and decisive decision-making could be a crucial turning point in containing the Houthi militants supported by Iran.