For the first time, shocking new images have surfaced on social media, revealing the extensive damage to the previously owned US bulk carrier “True Confidence.” This vessel was engulfed in flames following a missile attack by Iranian-backed Houthis earlier this year. 

On March 6, Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile that hit the vessel. The US military’s Central Command (Centcom) confirmed the attack, releasing two images of the heavily damaged bulker. 

Source: US Centcom 

Immediately after the attack, the Houthis claimed it targeted the bulk carrier because it was “American” – something the owners denied. 

Perhaps the Houthis weren’t up to date in shipping transactions because, according to the Financial Times, US private equity group Oaktree Capital unloaded the vessel just days before the attack to Liberia-registered True Confidence SA, the owner and managers Third January Maritime of Piraeus, Greece. 

Here are the newest images of True Confidence:

Source: The Sea In ArabicSource: The Sea In ArabicSource: The Sea In ArabicSource: The Sea In Arabic

The latest attack on a cargo ship occurred on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden. Private security firm Ambrey said a missile hit the forward station of the vessel. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported “Damage Control Underway” on the vessel. 

Six months into the Biden administration’s Operation Prosperity Guardian to defend the critical maritime chokepoint Bab al-Mandab Strait has proven disastrous so far. This is a reflection of the administration’s weak foreign policy.