Iranian Foreign Minister Hossei Amirabdollahian has announced that the crew of the ship flying the Portuguese flag, connected to Israel and seized by the Islamic Republic, should be released. In a phone call to his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel, Amirabdollahian expressed his concerns about the humanitarian issue of the release of the ship’s crew. The minister promised that the crew will be handed over to their respective diplomatic representatives in Tehran, although the timing was not specified.
In a separate incident, a ship was damaged by multiple missiles off the coast of Yemen, in an attack claimed by Houthi rebels. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Security Agency reported that the attack took place southwest of the Yemeni port of Mokha. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on the Andromeda Star and another ship, the MV Maisha. The Andromeda Star sustained minor damage but continued its journey. These recent incidents follow a lull in attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, who have targeted international shipping in the Red Sea. The attacks have been claimed to show solidarity with Palestinians amid conflict in the Gaza Strip. Despite