Chemical tanker seized in Gulf of Aden taken back by US-led defense operation

The chemical tanker M/V Central Park that was seized in the Gulf of Aden on Nov. 26 has been taken back by US-led maritime and defense officials, and the unknown attackers eventually surrendered, the US Central Command said Nov. 27.

The USS Mason and allied ships within a counter-piracy task force and associated aircraft responded to a distress call from the ship and after arrival, forced five armed individuals to leave the ship and attempt to flee via a small boat, Centcom said on X, formerly Twitter.

The USS Mason pursued the attackers resulting in their eventual surrender. The ship's crew members are safe, it said.

Later at about 1:41 am Yemen time on Nov. 27 (10:41 pm GMT on Nov. 26), two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the USS Mason and Central Park, landing about 10 nautical miles away, Centcom said. There was no damage or reported injuries, it said. The attackers were not identified.

"Maritime domain security is essential to regional stability," said General Michael Erik Kurilla, Centcom commander. "We will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international shipping lanes."

The Central Park was carrying phosphoric acid from Morocco, which is the leading producer of the compound used in the making of fertilizers, according to a shipbroker.

The ship had a consignment of around 15,000 mt of phosphoric acid and was heading toward top buyers in Asia, the source said.

The Central Park, a 2015-built, Liberian flagged, chemical tanker owned by Clumvez Shipping and managed by UK-based Zodiac Maritime, was involved in a suspected piracy incident while transiting the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), approximately 54 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, Africa, Zodiac Maritime said in an emailed statement to S&P Global Commodity Insights.

The seizure, in an area historically known for piracy, follows two other recent ship attacks in less than a week that separately are being linked to heightened risk arising from the Israel-Hamas war.

The ship is owned by Israeli shipping tycoon Eyal Ofer. He is the brother of shipping magnate Idan Ofer, who controls Eastern Pacific Shipping. The Iran-aligned Houthis announced Oct. 31 their decision to join the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and have threatened to sink Israeli-owned ships.

Vessel underwriters have told S&P Global that the targeting of Israeli-owned ships passing through the region as a consequence of the war could push up marine insurance premiums.