On Sunday November 20th, Iranian-back Yemeni Houthi rebels hijacked a cargo ship travelling from Turkey to India in the southern Red Sea near Yemen.
The Claim:
A report published on the Russian state media outlet Sputnik has erroneously identified the ship as being Israeli-owned. This false assertion poses a risk of creating confusion regarding the situation and has the potential to instill fear among Western companies conducting business in the region.
Additionally, Iranian state media PressTV has disseminated the same inaccurate claim.
According to the BBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian recently commended “resistance groups” allied to Tehran for their adept application of pressure on Israel and its supporters.
The Facts:
The ship, Galaxy Leader, which is owned by the UK-based Galaxy Maritime and operated by the Japanese company Nippon Yusen, is not of Israeli origin, and it was not transporting Israeli cargo. As reported by the BBC, Galaxy Leader is registered in the Isle of Man.
When the vessel was seized near Hodeida, Yemen, en route to India, it had a crew of 25 members, comprising individuals from Bulgaria, Mexico, the Philippines, and Ukraine.
