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Red Sea Crisis

The latest news and commentary on how the conflict in the Middle East is affecting the global maritime industry and shipping markets.

Star Bulk vessel hit by Houthis

On the eve of Star Bulk Carriers’ full year results the Houthi Movement has launched a missile attack on the Star Iris, a panamax bulk carrier, in the Bab al-Mandeb straits, off Yemen.

Nick Savvides, Europe correspondent

February 12, 2024

1 Min Read
US strikes on Houthi targets
Photo: US CENTCOM X Feed

VesselsValue AIS shows that the 76,500dwt bulk carrier has continued on its voyage, and is currently steaming in a southeasterly direction at 11knts.

AIS reports that the vessel left Vila Do Conde Port in Brazil on 11 January and transited the Suez Canal  on 6 February heading for Bandar Imam Khomeini in Iran.

The master reported to the UK Maritime Trade Operations website that the vessel had been attacked using two missiles and had “suffered minor damage, there were no crew casualties.

According to Houthi armed forces spokesman Yahya Sare’e: “The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the American ship ‘Star Iris’ in the Red Sea with a number of suitable naval missiles, and the strikes were accurate and direct.”

Sare’e said the attack on the vessel was in response to Israeli aggression in Gaza. Another Star Bulk vessel, Star Nasia, was targeted by Houthis in an attack on February 6.

Star Bulk Carriers Corporation is listed on the New York stock exchange Nasdaq and recently announced its merger with the Stamford, Connecticut, headquartered Eagle Bulk Shipping, creating a $2.1 billion mega-carrier operating a fleet of 169 bulk carriers.

Star Bulk's merger partner has its own experience of the current danger in the Red Sea; Eagle Bulk's ultramax Gibraltar Eagle was struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile in the Red Sea en route to the Suez Canal on January 15.

Related:Convergence of crises in Red Sea and Panama to hit supply chains

Shareholders of the Athens, Greece, headquartered Star Bulk will own 71% of the combined entity’s stock with the remaining 29% going to Eagle Bulk investors.

 

About the Author

Nick Savvides

Europe correspondent

Experienced journalist working online, in monthly magazines and daily news coverage. Nick Savvides began his journalistic career working as a freelance from his flat in central London, and has since worked in Athens, while also writing for some major publications including The Observer, The European, Daily Express and Thomson Reuters. 

Most recently Nick joined The Loadstar as the publication’s news editor to develop the profile of the publication, increase its readership and to build a team that will market, sell and report on supply chain issues and container shipping news. 

This was a similar brief to his time at ci-online, the online publication for Containerisation International and Container News. During his time at ci-online Nich developed a team of freelancers and full-time employees increasing its readership substantially. He then moved to International Freighting Weekly, a sister publication, IFW also focused on container shipping, rail and trucking and ports. Both publications were published by Informa. 

Following his spell at Informa Nick joined Reed’s chemical reporting team, ICIS, as the chemical tanker reporter. While at ICIS he also reported on the chemical industry and spent some time on the oil & gas desk. 

Nick has also worked for a time at Lloyd’s Register, which has an energy division, and his role was writing their technical magazine, before again becoming a journalist at The Naval Architect for the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. After eight successful years at RINA, he joined Fairplay, which published a fortnightly magazine and daily news on the website.

Nick's time at Fairplay saw him win the Seahorse Club Journalist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year 2018 awards.

After Fairplay closed, Nick joined an online US start-up called FreightWaves. 

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