The Japanese authorities has condemned the hijacking of a cargo ship within the Pink Sea by Yemeni Houthi rebels and mentioned it’s working in the direction of the discharge of the ship and its captive crew.
No less than 25 crew members who had been on board the Galaxy Chief vessel have been taken hostage by the Iran-backed insurgent group after it seized what it believed to be an Israeli ship.
The Japanese authorities confirmed the ship was leased and operated by Japanese firm Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and was transporting vehicles.
It was intercepted because it travelled previous the Arabian peninsula on its solution to India after leaving Turkey. The Houthis mentioned they’ve sailed the ship into Yemen.
“We strongly condemn such acts,” mentioned Japanese chief cupboard secretary Hirokazu Matsuno in a press convention on Monday.
He mentioned the crew contains individuals of varied nationalities however there have been no Japanese nationals on board.
“Presently, ministries and businesses together with the transport ministry and the overseas ministry are gathering info and dealing with the related nations for the early launch of the vessel and its crew,” the official mentioned.
The crew members come from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania.
The confusion over the vessel might have come from the truth that it’s registered within the identify of a British firm and part-owned by an Israeli businessman, in accordance with studies. Possession particulars in public delivery databases related the ship’s house owners with Ray Automobile Carriers, based by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, one of many richest males in Israel, reported the Related Press.
Blaming Iran for the ship’s seize, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned it was an “Iranian assault on a world ship”. He mentioned neither the vessel nor the crew aboard it had been Israeli.
“It’s not an Israeli ship,” the nation’s army mentioned on X, calling the seize of the ship a “very grave incident of a world consequence”.
“That is one other Iranian act of terrorism that represents an escalation in Iran’s belligerence in opposition to the residents of the free world, with concomitant worldwide ramifications vis-à-vis the safety of world delivery routes,” he mentioned.
The Houthis militant group’s spokesperson confirmed the seize of the ship on Sunday night time, saying that “all ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that take care of it’ll grow to be professional targets”.
Yahya Saree wrote on X that the Houthiss will “proceed to hold out army operations in opposition to the Israeli enemy till the aggression in opposition to Gaza stops and the ugly crimes in opposition to our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Financial institution cease”.
“If the worldwide neighborhood is worried about regional safety and stability, fairly than increasing the battle, it ought to put an finish to Israel’s aggression in opposition to Gaza,” he mentioned.