Western warships and fighter jets shot down at least 28 such objects on March 9, 2024, between 01.00 a.m. and 05.20 a.m. GMT. “No US or coalition navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage. The 'Alsace' shot down three drones in the Red Sea. The Danish military announced that its frigate 'Iver Huitfeld' downed four drones, sent by hostile forces from the Houthi movement.
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HDMS IVER HUITFELDT
The 'Iver Huitfeldt' shot down four drones in the Red Sea on the night of March 9, which had been launched from the Houthi-controlled part of Yemen. Other warships and aircraft of the international coalition shot down another 11 drones. The operating room Iver Huitfeldt. At a little after 04:00 local time the crew recognized a drone which was heading towards the 'Iver Huitfeldt' and the surrounding ships. After making sure it was an enemy, they engaged and defeated it. During the following hour, this happened three more times. Commander Sune Lund expressed relief that they were able to act professionally in the face of a serious threat like this, and he was very proud of their efforts, feeling confident about the future solutio. No people on board the frigate were injured in connection with the night's incident, nor was the ship damaged.
HMS RICHMOND
HMS 'Richmond' destroyed two targets with Sea Ceptor missiles on March 9, 2024, as the US and its allies came under sustained Houthi attack in the Red Sea in the early morning, successfully repelling yet another illegal attack by the Iranian backed Houthis. No injuries or damage were sustained in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The US military and coalition forces had downed at least 28 Houthi drones in total over the Red Sea on that day, involving unmanned aerial vehicles that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US navy and coalition ships in the region. The Houthi attack was conducted between 1 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. UK time.
ADVANTAGE SWEET
An Iranian court has issued an order confiscating the crude oil cargo from the 'Advantage Sweet' tanker a year after the country’s navy forcibly stopped the ship. The Iran was alternately referring to the cargo or the tanker as American, although the ultimate owners of the vessel registered in the Marshall Islands is a Chinese leasing company that is part of the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. The vessel managed by the Turkish company Genel Denizcilik Nakliyati for Advantage Tankers of Switzerland. At the time of the seizure in April 2023, it was operating under charter to Chevron. The vessel loaded a partial cargo of refined product in Kuwait departing on April 25, 2023, bound for Houston. On April 27, Iranian forces boarded the tanker outbound in the Gulf of Oman and directed it into Iranian waters where it was confiscated under a court order. Iran justified its actions by citing a collision of an unknown ship with an Iranian vessel in the waters of the Persian Gulf, which resulted in the loss of two people and the injury of several other crew members. They alleged at the time that the 'Advantage Sweet' struck the vessel and kept on sailing. The court ruled after a lawsuit was filed by Iranian patients suffering from a rare genetic skin disorder, Epidermolysis Bullosa. The suit reportedly is based on the refusal of a Swedish manufacturer of specialized bandages and dressing to sell the supplies to Iran due to the U.S. and Western sanctions. There was no mention of the previous accusations of the collision with the Iranian vessel. Iran said the cargo was then confiscated under the court order. They were valuing the cargo at approximately $50 million. Timing of the seizure of the 'Advantage Sweet' came shortly after reports emerged that the U.S. had moved to seize an Iranian oil cargo of approximately one million barrels aboard the Greek tanker 'Suez Rajan', which at that time was anchored off Singapore. The U.S. action was taken on behalf of the families of the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York and Washington D.C. The cargo was ultimately offloaded in Texas and sold with the proceeds going to the compensation fund. The seizure of the 'Advantage Sweet' was one of several reported by Iran which also included the January 2024 seizure of the 'St Nikolas' (ex 'Suez Rajan') which had been directly involved in the 2023 incident. Iran had vowed retaliation for the taking of its oil cargo. Iran is currently holding a total of 90 crewmembers and has seized five tankers. Previously, Iran held Greek tankers when it was involved in a dispute with Greece which impounded a tanker that Iran claimed ownership of after it previously was identified as a Russian tanker. The U.S. lost a court battle in Greece to also seize the cargo from that vessel.
PROPEL FORTUNE
The 'Propel Fortune', en route from Dhamra and sailing 50 nautical miles southeast of Aden in Yemen, was attacked by the Houthis on March 8, 2024. Fortunately, the ship and crew were safe. The ship's captain reported two explosions in front of the ship. The captain also stated that the ship suffered no damage and would continue the voyage to the next port. The Houthis targeted the vessel and a number of U.S. war destroyers at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with 37 drones. The U.S. military and coalition forces downed at least 28 UAVs over the Red Sea in the early hours of March 9. No U.S. or Coalition Navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage.