Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.
Israeli media: 32% of Americans still support "Israel's" war on Hamas, while 60% oppose it.
Israeli media: Core US support for "Israel" hits its lowest, while support for Palestine reaches its highest levels.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports martyrs, injuries in Israeli bombardment of home in Heker al-Jame area in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Al-Quds Governorate: Today, the spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque began in a public and dangerous manner, and we warn of a religious war in the region
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 175, including 93 children
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: Gaza's hospitals recorded six deaths due to starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, all of them adults
Informed sources to Al Mayadeen: A new chapter in relations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will begin within the framework of the new law passed by Parliament

Deep-sea attack on MSC Orion fuels US concerns over YAF capabilities

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 30 Apr 2024 23:59
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

The attack on the MSC Orion, situated approximately 600 kilometers (375 miles) off the Yemeni coast, marks the first acknowledged deep-sea attack claimed by Yemeni Armed Forces since November.

  • x
  • This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP)
    This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP)

A container ship flying the Portuguese flag was targeted by a drone attack in the remote areas of the Arabian Sea, aligning with assertions made by the Yemeni Armed Forces who claimed responsibility for the attack on the vessel, authorities reported on Tuesday.

The attack on the MSC Orion, situated approximately 600 kilometers (375 miles) off the Yemeni coast, marks the first acknowledged deep-sea attack claimed by the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) since they began their operations back in November in support of the Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. This indicates the potential capability of the YAF to carry out strikes across the expanses of the Indian Ocean, as they previously warned, as per a report released by AP.

According to the Joint Maritime Information Center, which operates under the US-led Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East, the attack occurred last Friday. Following the attack, the crew found debris believed to be from a drone on board, as reported by the center.

The center claimed that the ship “sustained only minor damage and all crew on board are safe.”

In further detail, ship-tracking satellite data examined by AP indicated that the container ship, en route to Salalah, Oman, was in the vicinity of the attack on Saturday.

It is worth noting that the MSC Orion is linked to London-based Zodiac Maritime, a subsidiary of the Zodiac Group owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

The Joint Maritime Information Center indicated in a report that the targeting of the MSC Orion was likely due to its perceived Israeli affiliation, as stated by the center.

The spokesperson for the Yemeni military Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated on Tuesday that the Israeli-affiliated MSC ORION container ship was targeted by the YAF's Unmanned Air Force in the Indian Ocean.

The big picture

Related News

Iraq’s PMF law seen as test of sovereignty amid US objections

Notorious Palantir lands record $10bln contract with the US Army

The attack prompted inquiries into how the YAF could execute an assault hundreds of kilometers away from the Yemeni coast on a mobile target. Their previous areas of attack primarily encompassed the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait, which are close to Yemen's shoreline – unlike the location of the MSC Orion attack, as per the report.

The YAF affirm that their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden come as a response to ongoing aggression against the Yemeni people and in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza amid the Israeli brutal aggression that killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have repeatedly affirmed the safe navigation of ships of all countries through the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, except for Israeli and Israeli-bound ships, as well as American and British ships following the two countries' aggression on Yemen.

They also reaffirmed Yemen's consistent stance regarding the security and stability of the region, affirming that all measures carried out by the Yemeni Armed Forces do not contradict international humanitarian law.

Since November, the YAF carried out over 50 attacks on ships, capturing one vessel and sinking another, as reported by the US Maritime Administration. 

Meanwhile, the leader of the Ansar Allah movement Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi revealed that as of April 25, the YAF targeted 102 vessels of different origins and types. On average, this means that the YAF has targeted nearly one ship every two days.

مشاهد لحظة استهداف سفينة (CYCLADES) بطائرة مسيرة والتي كانت متجهة إلى موانئ فلسطينَ المحتلة في البحر الأحمر pic.twitter.com/BNC4jPj1SM

— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) April 30, 2024

On Tuesday, the YAF released video footage of a drone attack on the Cyclades. The footage displayed a Samad bomb-equipped drone participating in the attack.

📷 صور من عملية إسقاط الدفاعات الجوية للطائرة الأمريكية MQ9 أثناء قيامها بمهام عدائية في أجواء محافظة صعدةhttps://t.co/Hw6ko4NQVu#معركة_الفتح_الموعود_والجهاد_المقدس pic.twitter.com/6vVPuqCVde

— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) April 27, 2024

Additionally, the YAF asserted on Saturday that they downed another MQ-9 Reaper drone belonging to the US military, showcasing footage of wreckage corresponding to identifiable components of the unmanned aircraft. While the US military confirmed the drone's crash, it stated that an investigation into the incident was still underway.

Read next: What the West needs to know about Yemen's Ansar Allah

  • United States
  • genocide in Gaza
  • Yemeni coast
  • war on Gaza
  • Aggression on Yemen
  • Yemeni Armed Forces
  • Israeli aggression
  • Israel
  • Ansar Allah
  • attack on ship
  • Israeli occupation
  • Yemen
  • Arabian Sea
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS