On June 13, a Houthi strike occurred in the Gulf of Aden on the Ukrainian-owned cargo ship Verbena. The attack was carried out by the Yemeni group Ansar Allah and caused damage to the Verbena, which was carrying wooden building materials from Malaysia to Italy. A fire broke out on board, injuring one sailor and prompting an evacuation by a helicopter from the American cruiser USS Philippine Sea.
Centcom has released more information about the incident, including that the crew of the Anna Meta also assisted in the evacuation of the Verbena sailors. However, what is most interesting is that during the attack, an Iranian frigate IRIN Jamaran was just eight nautical miles away from the Verbena but its crew ignored the distress signal from the Ukrainian ship.
The Verbena is flagged under Palau and managed by Poland. The incident highlights once again how dangerous it can be for ships to travel through these waters due to ongoing conflicts in Yemen and other regions in the Middle East. It also raises questions about why some countries are ignoring or not responding to distress signals from ships in need of assistance.
