Iran-backed Houthi rebels accused of hijacking ship linked to Israeli billionaire in Red Sea
A cargo ship linked to an Israeli billionaire was allegedly seized by Iran-backed rebels in the Red Sea on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it “strongly condemns the Iranian attack against an international vessel.”
“The ship, which is owned by a British company and is operated by a Japanese firm, was hijacked with Iran guidance by the Yemenite Houthi militia,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “Onboard the vessel are 25 crew members of various nationalities, including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino and Mexican. No Israelis are onboard. This is another act of Iranian terrorism and constitutes a leap forward in Iran’s aggression against the citizens of the free world, with international consequences regarding the security of the global shipping lanes.”
Israel Defense Forces also wrote on X, “The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence. The ship departed Turkey on its way to India, staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship.”
While Israeli officials insisted the vessell was British-owned and Japanese-operated, ownership details for the Bahamian-flagged Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier, in public shipping databases associated the ship’s owners with Ray Car Carriers, which was founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel, according to The Associated Press.
