Sunday’s hijacking of a cargo ship linked to an Israeli tycoon but operated by a Japanese shipping company has not only highlighted the vulnerability of global supply chains but also exacerbated concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict could escalate into a regional crisis.
Chartered by Nippon Yusen KK, also known as NYK Line, the Galaxy Leader was seized in the southern Red Sea by Iran-linked Houthi fighters from Yemen as it was traveling from Turkey to India.
The group seized the vehicle carrier, whose 25-person international crew included no Israelis or Japanese, using a helicopter that dropped several heavily armed fighters aboard the ship.