In what is believed to be the latest assault by the Houthi rebels of Yemen, a rocket detonated off the side of a ship as it sailed across the Red Sea, according to officials.
In response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis have launched a series of naval attacks, and the US and its allies have launched airstrikes to halt them.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a branch of the British military responsible for monitoring maritime traffic in the Middle East, the assault occurred around 70 miles offshore from the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeida. The missile detonated a few miles from the ship’s bow, according to the report. All aboard the vessel are confirmed to have made their way to the next port of call.
According to the private security service Ambrey, which was in the region at the time, the targeted vessel seemed to be a Greek-owned bulk carrier flying the Marshall Islands flag. Ambrey also said that a chemical tanker owned by the Emiratis and flying the Panamanian flag was in the area.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that an allied and US warship struck several bomb-carrying drones launched by the Houthi. Houthi-controlled Yemeni drones posed an urgent danger to commercial boats, the U.S. Navy, and allied ships in the vicinity.
Insurgents have frequently attacked ships in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas conflict since November. At least one ship carried merchandise for Iran, their principal backer, and an aid ship headed for the Houthi-controlled area.
Houthi rebels downed a multi-million-dollar US drone and crippled a ship in a vital waterway recently. The Houthis said they would keep attacking until Israel ceases its military operations in Gaza, which have angered the Arab world and earned them worldwide prominence.
The Zaydi Shiite Houthis seized Yemen in 2014 and have fought the government and regional players. Anti-Israeli, American, and Saudi ideologies align them with the Iran-Saudi proxy conflict.
