Japan’s government has strongly condemned the hijacking of a Japanese-operated cargo ship in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The Yemeni militia claimed the ship was Israeli, but a Japanese government spokesperson confirmed the vessel was a car carrier operated by Nippon Yusen.
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary said it was working to get the ship released.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran, which backs the Houthi militia, for the hijacking.
Mr Netanyahu said neither the vessel nor the crew were Israeli, and called it an “Iranian attack on an international ship”.
Twenty-two people are believed to be on board the vessel which is believed to be British owned.
“Currently, ministries and agencies including the transport ministry and the foreign ministry are gathering information and working with the relevant countries for the early release of the vessel and its crew,” Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said.
Those on board are believed to include Bulgarians and Filipinos, with no Japanese nationals among the crew.
The military spokesman of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Yahya al-Sarea, claimed the ship was Israeli and had been taken to a port in Yemen.
The Houthis had earlier threatened to target any Israeli ship within their reach in response to Israel’s retaliatory military action in the Gaza Strip following the 7 October attack by Hamas militants.
Full story: http://bbc.com
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