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[PICTURES] Who are the Houthi rebels and why are they attacking Red Sea ships?

cricketjoshila said:
And the RoW will not wipe out the Houthis with massive military attacks and cripple Iran as well?

Two can play this game and as things stand, one side has significantly more resources to play with.
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His post mentioned US/UK, no mention of ROW or two sides.

Beside after the back slapping exhibition by Jaishankar and Iran, plus the public slamming of US/UK with Jaishankar as cheerleader perhaps you are picking a different side to the one picked by your EA minister.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
He's expressed concern which is certainly fair enough, but then he's also stressing India's deep and long standing ties with Iran and the general tone seems to be placatory rather than warning. Your version which you are propagating on here is about Indian missile destroyers which is completely misleading.

If India wants to go on a war footing with Iran, they should go right ahead, but that isn't what's happening here stop pretending it is. Cheerleading for the British Raj as in days of yore is not the same thing.
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Even Pakistan and Sri Lanka have sent a ship to the region.

It's a non story.

Indian's however are foaming at the mouth about Israel/Palestine/Yemen.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Even Pakistan and Sri Lanka have sent a ship to the region.

It's a non story.

Indian's however are foaming at the mouth about Israel/Palestine/Yemen.
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It's quite sad really. India has long held quite warm relations with Iran, as this visit by Jaishankar shows, but the RSS inspired Islamophobia which is expressed by their "spokesmen" on sites like this one paint a very different picture.

If India really feels that Iran is threatening their interests they should do what the British Raj and the Americans did and strike hard. The actions don't match the words which are spouted here.
 
A Malta-flagged, Greek-owned vessel has been hit with a missile in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, maritime security firm Ambrey has said.

It is thought to be the third incident involving Zografia, a bulk carrier, in 24 hours.

Tuesday's incident comes as the US military announced it had seized Iranian-supplied weapons bound for the Houthis during an operation last week.

Source: BBC
 
Looks like attacks have increased after Jaishankars visit @Cpt. Rishwat

I wonder what concessions he made to the Iranians. They are emboldened.
 
The Bald Eagle said:
A Malta-flagged, Greek-owned vessel has been hit with a missile in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, maritime security firm Ambrey has said.

It is thought to be the third incident involving Zografia, a bulk carrier, in 24 hours.

Tuesday's incident comes as the US military announced it had seized Iranian-supplied weapons bound for the Houthis during an operation last week.

Source: BBC
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Looks like Iran will keep using its proxies against crusaders of the west
The Somalians and ottomans did it for the loot, not sure what the houthis hope to achieve in the red sea
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
He's expressed concern which is certainly fair enough, but then he's also stressing India's deep and long standing ties with Iran and the general tone seems to be placatory rather than warning. Your version which you are propagating on here is about Indian missile destroyers which is completely misleading.

If India wants to go on a war footing with Iran, they should go right ahead, but that isn't what's happening here stop pretending it is. Cheerleading for the British Raj as in days of yore is not the same thing.
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When you raise concerns in the public especially when the other side is trying to talk about US and UK and you name their ally as the one causing issue its not placatory.

Why will India go to war with Iran if Iran is guaranteeing the safety of ships linked to India.

The Iranian NSA will be visiting India next week to work out further modalities.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
His post mentioned US/UK, no mention of ROW or two sides.

Beside after the back slapping exhibition by Jaishankar and Iran, plus the public slamming of US/UK with Jaishankar as cheerleader perhaps you are picking a different side to the one picked by your EA minister.
Click to expand...

Or Jaishankar slamming the attacks on ships linked to India and telling point blank that this will not benefit anyone and the Iranian NSA visiting next week to work out the modalities of safety for Indian ships, may be pakistanis should let big boys handle stuff and concentrate on getting the next bailout.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Even Pakistan and Sri Lanka have sent a ship to the region.

It's a non story.

Indian's however are foaming at the mouth about Israel/Palestine/Yemen.
Click to expand...

You don't worry about India. Worry about Pakistan.

Iran has just launched missiles on Pakistani territory to hit some camps in Balochistan.
 
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cricketjoshila said:
Or Jaishankar slamming the attacks on ships linked to India and telling point blank that this will not benefit anyone and the Iranian NSA visiting next week to work out the modalities of safety for Indian ships, may be pakistanis should let big boys handle stuff and concentrate on getting the next bailout.
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I doubt big boys would feel the need to go rushing onto Pakistan based sites to tell their made up fantasy stories about dialogue they have no idea about. Why do you feel so strongly that you have to invent stories with not one jot of proof?

Look at who is firing missiles and who is hiding behind the skirts of the British Raj.
 
Huthis hit US vessel with drone near Yemen

Iran-backed Huthis claimed that they have targeted a US ship with a drone near Yemen. The United Kingdom's security agency confirmed the strike.

The development comes shortly after the United States labeled the group as a "terrorist" entity again.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) security agency reported that the drone hit the US ship in the Gulf of Aden. The Huthis had earlier promised more attacks on ships. Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Huthi military, said their naval forces targeted the US ship called the Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden.

In televised remarks, Saree vowed that attacks would continue in self defence and in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, AFP reported.

However, British maritime risk management company Ambrey said the vessel that was attacked was a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier.

A "vessel has been hit on the port side by an Uncrewed Aerial System", the UKMTO said, adding that a fire on board had been extinguished and the "vessel and crew are safe".

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, it said Wednesday´s incident happened 60 nautical miles southeast of the port of Aden, and added: "Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO."

Ambrey said the ship had been heading "east along the Gulf of Aden when it was struck by a UAV on the port side and on the gangway" which was damaged.

It said an Indian warship was in contact with the bulk carrier.

Earlier Wednesday, Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam had told Al Jazeera TV the rebels would continue attacking Red Sea shipping following the US decision to put the group back on a list of "terrorist" entities.

"We will not give up targeting Israeli ships or ships heading towards ports in occupied Palestine... in support of the Palestinian people," he told the Qatar-based broadcaster.

He also said the Huthis would respond to new strikes on Yemen by the United States or Britain, despite already facing multiple rounds of air strikes in response to their targeting of merchant vessels.

The rebels say their attacks are in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is battling militant group Hamas.



www.thenews.com.pk

Huthis hit US vessel with drone near Yemen

DUBAI: Iran-backed Huthis claimed that they have targeted a US ship with a drone near Yemen. The United Kingdom's security agency confirmed the strike. The development comes shortly after the United...
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US military launches another barrage of missiles against Houthi sites in Yemen

The U.S. military fired another wave of ship- and submarine-launch missile strikes against Houthi-controlled sites Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said, marking the fourth time in days it has directly targeted the group in Yemen as violence that ignited in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war continues to spill over in the Middle East.

The strikes were launched from the Red Sea and hit 14 missiles that the command deemed an “imminent threat.” The strikes followed an official announcement Wednesday that the U.S. has put the Houthis back on its list of specially designated global terrorists. The sanctions that come with the formal designation are meant to sever violent extremist groups from their sources of financing.

“Forces conducted strikes on 14 Iran-backed Houthi missiles that were loaded to be fired in Houthi controlled areas in Yemen,” Central Command said in a statement posted on X late Wednesday. “These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time, prompting U.S. forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves.”

Despite the sanctions and military strikes, including a large-scale operation Friday carried out by U.S. and British warships and warplanes that hit more than 60 targets across Yemen, the Houthis are continuing their harassment campaign of commercial and military ships. The latest incident occurred Wednesday when a one-way attack drone was launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and -operated M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden.

The U.S. has also strongly warned Iran to cease providing weapons to the Houthis. On Thursday a U.S. raid on a dhow intercepted ballistic missile parts the U.S. said Iran was shipping to Yemen. Two U.S. Navy SEALs remain unaccounted for after one was knocked off the vessel by a wave during the seizure and the second followed the overcome SEAL into the water.

On Wednesday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the U.S. would continue to take military action to prevent further attacks.

“They are exploiting this situation to conduct attacks against the ships and vessels from more than 50 countries ... around the world. And so we’re going to continue to work with our partners in the region to prevent those attacks or deter those attacks in the future,” Ryder said.

There have been several incidents since the Friday joint operations. The Houthis fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward a U.S. Navy destroyer over the weekend, but the ship shot it down. The Houthis then struck a U.S.-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden on Monday and a Malta-flagged bulk carrier in the Red Sea on Tuesday. In response Tuesday, the U.S. struck four anti-ship ballistic missiles that were prepared to launch and presented an imminent threat to merchant and U.S. Navy ships in the region.

Hours later, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia. The ship was hit, but no one was injured and it continued on its way.
​
apnews.com

US military launches another barrage of missiles against Houthi sites in Yemen

The U.S. military has launched another wave of missile strikes against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, marking the fourth time in days it has directly targeted the group.
apnews.com apnews.com
 
cricketjoshila said:
You don't worry about India. Worry about Pakistan.

Iran has just launched missiles on Pakistani territory to hit some camps in Balochistan.
Click to expand...
Pakistan have strike back against iran .I think you are forgotten what our public did to your captured pilot
 
Biden's strategy on Yemen aims to weaken, not destroy, Houthis

U.S. President Joe Biden's emerging strategy on Yemen aims to weaken the Houthi militants but stops well short of trying to defeat the group or directly address Iran, the Houthi's main sponsor, raising risks of prolonged conflict, experts say.

The strategy - a blend of limited military strikes and sanctions - appears aimed at preventing a wider Middle East conflict even as Washington seeks to punish the Houthis for their attacks on Red Sea shipping.

But it is unclear whether it will accomplish Biden's main goal: halting the militants' attacks.

Analysts warn a middle-road attempt could mean continued instability along a vital global shipping chokepoint without removing the risk of greater regional military confrontation.

"I think the strategy is sustainable. I just don't think it's going to work," said Seth Jones at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

"Limited strikes against Houthi targets are not going to deter attacks around the Red Sea."

The Houthis say their attacks on Red Sea shipping are intended to support Palestinians against Israel, a popular cause in Yemen.

The Houthis' campaign has disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.

After months of warnings, Biden last week authorized a wave of airstrikes against Houthi military targets, hitting missiles, drones and radar stations. But the Houthis have kept up their attacks.

On Tuesday, the U.S. military struck four anti-ship ballistic missiles as they prepared to launch against Red Sea targets and on Wednesday strikes destroyed 14 more.

Both actions suggest the U.S. is choosing military targets based on real-time intelligence.

"If we see a target, we will hit it," one U.S. official said.

Biden's national security adviser has publicly hinted at the likely need for more military action.

"We anticipated the Houthis would continue to try to hold this critical artery at risk and we continue to reserve the right to take further action," Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday.

Some U.S. officials and experts believe the Houthis welcome the confrontation with the United States, saying it helps them win popular support in Yemen and burnishes their brand in the Middle East as part of the Iran-backed "Axis of Resistance."

And the Houthis appear to believe they can endure U.S. bombings, even if some stocks of missiles and drones are destroyed.

"The fact of the matter is that (drones and missiles are) relatively easily replaced," said Gerald Feierstein, a former U.S. ambassador to Yemen.

"Whether they get the motors or the guidance systems or something else from Iran, they can put together the pieces themselves."

TERRORIST DESIGNATION

The U.S. strategy of balanced escalation was apparent on Wednesday when the Biden administration returned the Houthis to a list of terrorist groups.

But it delayed implementation for 30 days, to help limit the impact on humanitarian aid to Yemen, and Biden also stopped short of relisting the group as a "foreign terrorist organization (FTO)."

The FTO designation includes far stricter measures than the Houthis new designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT).
Gregory Johnsen, a non-resident fellow with the Arab Gulf States Institute, said he doubted the step would be effective.

"This is largely a symbolic act that's going to have some humanitarian repercussions, but it's not going to do anything to prevent the Houthis from carrying out these attacks," he said.

One senior Biden administration official, briefing reporters on the decision, said Washington was still "committed to resolving the conflict in Yemen" and to reach a durable ceasefire between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security, said Biden was hoping to deter the Houthis and effectively "stick the landing in some sort of negotiated peace in Yemen."

But Lord, a former Pentagon official, said the strategy largely ignored the Houthis main backer - Iran - and would tie up valuable, and costly, U.S. Navy assets.

"Iran can provide the Houthis with capabilities that are asymmetrically cheaper," Lord said.

"U.S. capabilities, by and large, live off of aircraft carriers and other naval vessels which need to go in and out of the region, but also are needed elsewhere in the world."

Source: Reuters

 
pakfan54588 said:
Pakistan have strike back against iran .I think you are forgotten what our public did to your captured pilot
Click to expand...

I remember Indian Army holding 90K pakistanis prisoners in Dhaka, then transporti them to India and keeping them here for months before the Pakistani PM came to Shimla to have them freed.
 
Houthi leader rejects US terror designation, vows to continue attacks on ships in Red Sea

The leader of Yemen’s Houthi militia, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, condemned the US on Thursday for its decision to redesignate his movement as a terrorist organization, accusing Washington of punishing the group for its support of the Palestinian people.

“The American attacks and classifications have no significance and are a step that occurs solely in the context of defending Israel’s crimes,” he said during a televised speech. He vowed his group will continue to launch missile and drone attacks against Israeli targets, including ships in the Red Sea with connections to the country.

“We will continue targeting ships linked to Israel and the bombing of occupied Palestine until the aggression and blockade on Gaza ends,” he said.

His comments came as opponents of the Houthis, inside and outside of Yemen, applauded the US decision and called for harsher sanctions and penalties to be imposed on the group.

The Biden administration on Wednesday confirmed the redesignation of the Houthis as a terrorist group, in an attempt to put pressure on them to halt their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The classification of the group as Specially Designated Global Terrorist gives the US the power to severely penalize the militia by cutting off its funding and weapons supplies and reducing its capacity to damage the security of international commerce. US President Joe Biden removed the Houthis from the list in early 2021 to make it easier to provide aid amid concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Other prominent members of the Houthis’ political and military wings joined the group’s leader in condemning the terror designation and accusing the US of complicity in Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza.

Dhaif Allah Al-Shami, the group’s information minister, accused Washington of using a carrot-and-stick approach in an attempt to coerce the group into halting its attacks on ships in the Red Sea in support of Palestine, and said it would not succeed.

In a message posted on social media site X, he wrote: “The threat to place (the Houthis) on the American terrorist list is a desperate ploy that has no impact on the Yemeni people. On the contrary, it will boost their faith, strength, and confidence in their position.”

Yemen’s internationally recognized government and other opponents and critics of the Houthis welcomed the redesignation of the group as terrorists and urged other nations to follow Washington’s example.

Yemeni Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani described the redesignation as an “important” step that will highlight the Houthi threat to international maritime traffic.

He said that since the Houthis took control of the country through force in late 2014, they have committed numerous crimes that merit the label of terrorism, including attacks on residential areas using missiles made in Iran and packed with explosives, kidnappings, killings, the torture of abducted women, the demolition of homes, the recruitment of children, laying landmines, repression of dissidents, and other atrocities.

“The international community is required to intensify pressure on the Houthi militia to force it to abandon its terrorist approach, engage seriously and in good faith in deescalation efforts and bringing peace,” the minister added.

Yemeni human rights campaigners, journalists and politicians forced to flee their country for fear of Houthi reprisals similarly applauded the US reclassification of the group as terrorists.

Fahed Al-Sharafi, a Yemeni journalist from the province of Saada, a Houthi stronghold, and consultant to the information minister, said the US had shown its support for the oppressed people of Yemen who have suffered as a result of Houthi atrocities.

“The decision prevailed for justice and truth against a local and multinational terrorist gang that murdered, displaced, and destroyed everything beautiful in Yemen. This decision should be welcomed,” he wrote in a message posted on X.


 
Biden says air strikes against Yemen's Houthis will continue

US President Joe Biden has said that attacks on the Houthis will continue even as he acknowledged that the group have not stopped their Red Sea attacks.

The US carried out a fifth round of strikes on Yemen on Thursday after a US ship was struck by a Houthi drone.

White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters that US forces "took out a range of Houthi missiles" that were about to be fired towards the Red Sea.

He said the American attacks took place on Wednesday and again on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a Houthi drone hit a "US owned and operated bulk carrier ship" which later had to be rescued by India's navy. It came as the US designated the Houthis as a terrorist organisation.



www.bbc.com

Biden says air strikes against Yemen's Houthis will continue

The remarks come as the US confirmed a fifth round of strikes on Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
www.bbc.com
 

Two US Navy Seals missing off Somalia in mission to intercept Iranian weapons​


Navy searches Gulf of Aden for Seals who fell into the water when trying to board vessel carrying Iranian missile parts to Somalia

US navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing US Navy Seals on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a US defense official said.

Officials have said that the Seal mission was not related to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing US and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the US and the UK have conducted in Yemen over the past two days.

The official said crew on the dhow, which did not have a country flag, were planning to transfer the missile parts, including warheads and engines, to another boat off the coast of Somalia.

The Navy recognized the boat as one with a history of transporting illegal weapons from Iran to Somalia, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not made public.

The Seals were on the USS Lewis B Puller, a Navy expeditionary sea base vessel, and traveled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. As they were boarding it in rough seas, at approximately 8pm local time, one Seal got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both are missing.

The team boarding the small boat was facing about a dozen crew members. The crew members, who were taken into custody, had no paperwork, which allowed a search of the vessel. The weapons were confiscated, and the boat was sunk, a routine procedure that usually involves blowing open holes in the hull.

US officials have said that the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm and Navy Seals are trained for such emergencies. On Monday, Navy ships, helicopters and drones were involved in the search.

The US Navy has conducted regular interdiction missions in the region, also intercepting weapons on ships that were bound for Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
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Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/15/us-navy-seals-missing-gulf-of-aden-somalia.
 

Iranian and Hezbollah commanders help direct Houthi attacks in Yemen​


DUBAI, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Commanders from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon's Hezbollah group are on the ground in Yemen helping to direct and oversee Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, four regional and two Iranian sources told Reuters.

Iran - which has armed, trained and funded the Houthis - stepped up its weapons supplies to the militia in the wake of the war in Gaza, which erupted after Iranian-backed militants Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the four regional sources said.

Tehran has provided advanced drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, precision-strike ballistic missiles and medium-range missiles to the Houthis, who started targeting commercial vessels in November in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, the sources said.

IRGC commanders and advisers are also providing know-how, data and intelligence support to determine which of the dozens of vessels travelling through the Red Sea each day are destined for Israel and constitute Houthi targets, all the sources said.

Washington said last month that Iran was deeply involved in planning operations against shipping in the Red Sea and that its intelligence was critical to enable the Houthis to target ships.

In response to a request for comment for this story, the White House pointed to its previous public comments about how Iran has been supporting the Houthis.

In his weekly news conferences, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has repeatedly denied Tehran is involved in the Red Sea attacks by the Houthis. The IRGC public relations office did not respond to request for comment.
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam denied any Iranian or Hezbollah involvement in helping to direct the Red Sea attacks. A Hezbollah spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The Houthis, who emerged in the 1980s as an armed group in opposition to Saudi Arabia's Sunni religious influence in Yemen, say they are supporting Hamas by striking commercial ships they say are either linked to Israel or are heading to Israeli ports.

Their attacks have affected global shipping between Asia and Europe through the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen. That has triggered U.S. and British air strikes on Houthi targets in the country, opening a new theatre of conflict linked to the war in Gaza.

The Gaza conflict has also sparked clashes between Israel and Hezbollah militants along the Lebanese border, as well as attacks by Iran-linked groups on U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria.

"The Revolutionary Guards have been helping the Houthis with military training (on advanced weapons)," an Iranian insider told Reuters. "A group of Houthi fighters were in Iran last month and were trained in an IRGC base in central Iran to get familiar with the new technology and the use of missiles."

The person said Iranian commanders had travelled to Yemen as well and set up a command centre in the capital Sanaa for the Red Sea attacks which is being run by the senior IRGC commander responsible for Yemen.

 
UK to upgrade warship defense missile system used in Red Sea

Britain's Defense Ministry said on Sunday it would spend 405 million pounds ($514 million) to upgrade a missile system now being used by the Royal Navy to shoot down hostile drones over the Red Sea.

The Sea Viper Air Defense system will be upgraded with missiles featuring a new warhead and software enabling it to counter ballistic missile threats, the MoD said in a statement.

The contracts were awarded to the British division of MBDA, a missiles joint venture owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, the MoD said.

Escalating regional tensions

"As the situation in the Middle East worsens, it is vital that we adapt to keep the UK, our allies and partners safe," Defense Minister Grant Shapps said in the statement.

"Sea Viper has been at the forefront of this, being the Navy's weapon of choice in the first shooting down of an aerial threat in more than 30 years."

US and British naval forces in the Red Sea have shot drones and missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi movement this month as the conflict between Israel and Hamas spilled out into the broader region.

SOURCE: REUTERS
 
US Navy now says two missing SEALS are deceased

Two U.S. Navy SEALs who went missing in the Gulf of Aden earlier this month have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased, military officials said on Sunday.

The SEALs were reported missing after boarding an Iranian vessel in a Jan. 11 operation near the coast of Somali, the U.S. Central Command said on X.

“We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honor their sacrifice and example. Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy, and the entire Special Operations community during this time,” CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement.

The U.S. has carried out a string of strikes against Houthi targets in response to Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea that have disrupted global trade and raised fears of supply bottlenecks.

U.S. Central Command forces on Saturday struck a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and prepared to launch, the U.S. military said.



 
Navy Seals presumed dead after anti-Houthi mission

Two US Navy Seals who went missing during an operation to seize Iranian-made weapons - bound for Houthis in Yemen - are now presumed dead, the US military says.

The incident took place on 11 January when commandos were boarding a ship off the coast of Somalia.

According to media reports, one was swept away and the second jumped in after them, following protocol.

US Central Command said attempts are now being made to recover the bodies.

"We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honour their sacrifice and example," said the head of Central Command (Centcom), Gen Michael Erik Kurilla.

Air and naval units from the US, Japan and Spain spent 10 days searching an area of more than 21,000 sq miles (54,389 sq km) to try and find the commandos, with the help of oceanographers and meteorologists.

Navy Seals are members of a specialist maritime military force responsible for tasks including reconnaissance and carrying out covert operations.

"These SEALs represented the very best of our country, pledging their lives to protect their fellow Americans," US President Joe Biden said in a statement on Monday.

"Our hearts go out to the family members, loved ones, friends, and shipmates who are grieving for these two brave Americans."

Military officials told the Associated Press the first Seal was swept into heavy seas during the night mission as they were boarding an unflagged dhow - a traditional sailing ship - where the weapons were discovered.

The second then entered the water to try and save the first, as is taught during training.

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said "our hearts are with" the families of the "two brave Navy Seals".

"The entire Department is united in sorrow today. We are grateful to all who worked tirelessly to try to find and rescue them," he wrote on X.



www.bbc.com

Navy Seals presumed dead after anti-Houthi mission

The commandos were part of an operation to seize Iranian-made missile parts bound for Yemen.
www.bbc.com
 
US and UK launch fresh strikes on Houthis

The US and UK have begun joint air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, two US defence officials told the BBC's US partner, CBS News.

The strikes are aimed at a range of targets, including radars, officials told CBS.

The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting ships they say are linked to Israel that travel through the important Red Sea trade route.

The US and UK have previously said they are trying to protect the route.

This is the eighth strike by the US against Houthi targets in Yemen. It is the second joint operation with the UK, after attacks were carried out on 11 January. US fighter jets from the carrier USS Eisenhower were reported to be involved in Monday's strikes.

Ten days after the first carefully calibrated joint air and missile strike by the US and UK, the Iran-backed Houthis remain defiant.

They have continued to launch a variety of projectiles at shipping passing Yemen's coastline, in one case mistakenly targeting a ship carrying Russian oil.

Under the newly named Operation Poseidon Archer, US-led strikes have now hit fresh targets, after previously carrying out a number of pre-emptive strikes on Houthi launch sites.

These, say the Pentagon, destroyed missiles just as they were being prepared for launch. Western intelligence recently estimated that at least 30% of Houthi missile stocks had been destroyed or degraded.

Yet the Houthis, who are supplied, trained and advised by Iran, are clearly bent on continuing their attacks on shipping they suspect of being linked to Israel, the US or the UK.

These have earned them much popularity at home, where many Yemenis have been chafing under their brutal rule.

They are also popular with many across the wider Arab world since the Houthis say they are supporting Hamas as part of the Iran-backed 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel.


www.bbc.com

US and UK launch fresh strikes on Houthis

This is the eighth strike and second joint operation with the UK following attacks in the Red Sea.
www.bbc.com
 

Houthis ask British and US aid workers to leave Yemen after second round of joint airstrikes​

British and US aid workers have been asked to leave Yemen by Houthi authorities in the country, a letter seen by Sky News shows.

In the letter to the country's United Nations coordinator, the Houthi-controlled foreign affairs ministry requests aid workers with US and British citizenship to leave within 30 days.

It follows the second set of joint UK and US airstrikes against Houthi forces, aimed at stopping raids on shipping in the Red Sea.

The letter also calls on aid agencies not to recruit any workers with dual nationalities from the UK and US in the next 30 days.

The full letter reads: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Yemen extends its best regards to the office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sanaa, and through them to all offices of humanitarian organisations working in the Republic of Yemen.

"The ministry would like to emphasise the necessity of informing all officials and workers who hold American and British citizenship of their preparation to leave the country within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of this determination so they will be ready to leave immediately upon the expiration of the period referred to, and the ministry will be sure to inform you via a ministerial letter 24 hours before departure.

"The ministry also calls upon [the humanitarian organisations] not to recruit any employees with dual nationalities from those countries mentioned above during this period.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Yemen takes this opportunity to express appreciation and respect to the office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator."

The UK and US have been carrying out the strikes in retaliation for Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said last night that the second round of strikes was a "success".

In a post on X, Mr Shapps posted: "I want to thank all members of the Armed Forces involved in last night's operations against Houthi targets.

"Their dedication, professionalism and skill made the operation a success, degrading the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners," he said.

Last night's strikes targeted a Houthi underground storage site and locations associated with the Houthis' missile and air surveillance capabilities, a joint statement from the UK, US, Bahrain, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands said.

Source: SKY
 
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned Iran-backed Houthis that Britain would stage new military action if the Yemeni rebels keep attacking shipping in the Red Sea.

“We are not seeking a confrontation,” he told parliament hours after a second round of US-UK strikes.

“We urge the Houthis and those who enable them to stop these illegal and unacceptable attacks.

“But if necessary, the United Kingdom will not hesitate to respond in self-defence. We cannot stand by and allow these attacks to go unchallenged,” Sunak added.

Royal Air Force jets struck two military sites just north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, “each containing multiple specific targets, which the Houthis used to support their attacks on shipping”, Sunak said.

He informed MPs that the government’s initial evidence was that “all intended targets were destroyed”.

Sunak added that the joint military operation with the United States, which followed similar strikes on January 11, were “working to degrade” the Houthis’ capability to launch attacks.

He insisted the strikes were “limited”, in line with international law and that no decision has been made to start a sustained campaign against the rebel group.

Since the first strikes, the United States has also launched individual air raids against missiles that Washington said posed imminent threats to civilian and military vessels.



Source: Brecorder
 
The United States and United Kingdom have issued new sanctions on leaders of Yemen’s Houthis, as the group pledges to continue its attacks on Israel-linked commercial vessels until aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza.

The sanctions, announced on Thursday, target four key Houthi officials over their roles supporting or directing attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the US and UK said.


Al Jazeera
 
An oil tanker is on fire in the Gulf of Aden, its operator says, after Houthis said they hit it with a missile.

The movement said it had targeted the Marlin Luanda on Friday evening.

Operator Trafigura told the BBC the strike caused a fire in one of the ship's cargo tanks and firefighting equipment was being used to contain it.

US officials told the BBC's US partner CBS the tanker was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile and a naval ship was responding to its distress signal.

There were no injuries reported, the US officials said.

It is the latest attack on commercial shipping by the Houthis in and around the Red Sea.


BBC
 
UK says it thwarted Houthis’ drone attack in the Red Sea

A UK vessel shot down a Houthi drone in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has said, as tensions in the Middle East soar amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

“Yesterday HMS Diamond successfully repelled a drone attack from the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea,” read a statement from the ministry published on Sunday on X.

“Diamond destroyed a drone targeting her, with no injuries or damage sustained to Diamond or her crew,” it added.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis.

The Yemen-based group previously pledged to target Israel-linked vessels in the region as part of an effort to pressure the country’s government to end its bombardment of Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid supplies into the coastal Palestinian enclave.

Gaza has been under heavy bombardment by Israeli forces since October 7, when Hamas fighters stormed communities in southern Israel, killing at least 1,139 people and taking about 240 others captive, according to Israeli officials. At least 26,400 people in Gaza have been killed in the Israeli assault since, according to Palestinian authorities in the territory.

Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have caused major disruption to global commerce as the area is a key artery for maritime trade.

Some of the world’s largest shipping companies have suspended operations in the region, instead sending their cargo vessels on a longer route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, slowing trade between Asia and Europe.



www.aljazeera.com

UK says it thwarted Houthis’ drone attack in the Red Sea

UK says Houthis attacked British military vessel in the Red Sea resulting in no damage and no injuries.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
Red Sea Container Shipping Down 30% Over Attacks: IMF

Container shipping through the Red Sea has dropped by nearly one-third this year as attacks by Yemen's Huthi rebels continue, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.

"Container shipping... has declined by almost 30 percent," said Jihad Azour, director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia department, adding that "the drop in trade accelerated in the beginning of this year".

The Iran-backed Huthis have launched more than 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels since November 19, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

The rebels say the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians and in protest of the Israel-Hamas war that has been raging in the Gaza Strip since October.

The IMF's PortWatch platform indicates that the total transit volume through the Suez Canal was down 37 percent this year through January 16 compared with the same period a year earlier.

The canal connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

Huthi attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global trade, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.

"The level of uncertainty is extremely high and the developments will determine the extent of change and shift in trade patterns in terms of volume but also in terms of sustainability," Azour told reporters in an online briefing.

"Are we on the verge of major change in trade routes or is it temporary because of the increase in costs and the deterioration of the security costs?"

The United States heads a coalition to protect Red Sea shipping, and is seeking to apply diplomatic and financial pressure by redesignating the Huthis as a "terrorist" group.

The Red Sea is particularly vital for European trade.

Last week the European Union's trade commissioner said maritime traffic through the Red Sea shipping route had fallen by 22 percent in a month because of the rebel attacks.

The European Union is pushing to launch its own naval mission in the Red Sea to help protect international shipping.

EU countries have given initial backing to the plan and are aiming to finalise it by a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers on February 19.

The United States and Britain have launched repeated strikes against Huthi capabilities in Yemen, but the Iran-backed movement is still able to hit vessels.

Wednesday's IMF briefing came as the Washington-based fund released a revised economic outlook for countries in the Middle East and North Africa due to the Israel-Hamas war.

The IMF now sees the economies of the region expanding 2.9 percent this year, a decrease of half a percentage point from its October forecast.

The economic downturn in the occupied West Bank and the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and was "immense", said Azour.

In 2023, real GDP growth in Gaza and the West Bank was estimated to have dropped to about minus six percent, the IMF said, adding it reflected a nine percentage points downgrade from its October outlook.

"We project that the economy will keep on contracting in 2024 if there is no fast and quick cessation of hostilities and reconstruction," Azour said.

Source: Barron's

www.barrons.com

Red Sea Container Shipping Down 30% Over Attacks: IMF

Container shipping through the Red Sea has dropped by nearly one-third this year as attacks by Yemen's Huthi rebels continue, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.
www.barrons.com www.barrons.com
 
Houthis claim to have hit US merchant ship in Red Sea

The Houthi movement in Yemen says it has struck a US merchant ship in the Red Sea in a fresh attack targeting commercial shipping.

It named the ship as the KOI, which it said was US-operated.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said a vessel operating south of Yemen's port of Aden had reported an explosion on board but it did not name the ship.

Meanwhile, the US has launched new air strikes in Yemen, targeting 10 drones reportedly being set up to launch.

According to Reuters news agency, the KOI is a Liberian-flagged container ship operated by UK-based Oceonix Services. The same company's fleet includes the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, which was damaged by a missile on Saturday.

The Houthis regard all Israeli, US and British ships as legitimate targets following Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, and US and British targeting of Houthi missile positions in what the two countries say are efforts to protect commerce.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Wednesday that the movement's armed forces had targeted an American merchant ship named KOI with "several appropriate naval missiles".

The ship, he said, had been heading to "the ports of occupied Palestine", a phrase which is sometimes used to mean Israel.

Yemen, he added, would "not hesitate" to retaliate against "British-American escalation".

"All American and British ships in the Red and Arabian Seas are legitimate targets for the Yemeni Armed Forces as long as the American-British aggression against our country continues," the Houthi spokesman said.

US Central Command said the 10 drones being prepared for launch in Yemen had posed a threat to merchant vessels and US warships in the region.

All 10 were destroyed along with a Houthi drone ground control station, it said.

The US added that one of its warships had shot down three Iranian drones and a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden.

Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have slowed down international trade, raising fears of supply bottlenecks.

On 7 October, hundreds of Palestinian gunmen from Gaza infiltrated southern Israel, where they killed around 1,300 people - mostly civilians - and took 250 others hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 26,900 people - most of them women and children - have been killed, according to the health ministry there which is controlled by the Hamas group.

SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68162927
 
Russia is closely following the spillover of tensions in the Red Sea onto the global energy market, a top Moscow official said Thursday.

The Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels since November 19, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

Container shipping in the Red Sea -- a crucial narrow passage which links to the Suez Canal -- is down by almost 30 percent this year amid the attacks, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday.

Alexander Novak, Russia’s deputy prime minister who oversees the country’s energy policy, said the situation in the Red Sea had “significantly” affected “trading relations and logistics chains.”

“It is important that there is constant monitoring of the situation, so that at any moment joint decisions can be made to adjust our joint actions designed to correct and balance the market,” he said on state TV.

Novak was referring to Russia’s participation in the OPEC+ oil alliance -- an agreement between some of the world’s top producers, led by Saudi Arabia, to manage oil output and exports to support prices on the global market.

Global oil prices have risen about 10 percent since early December.

Energy exports are a crucial source of revenue for Russia’s economy.

Source: Al Arabiya

 
Repeated US and UK air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen have failed to slow their attacks on ships in the region, BBC Verify has found.

There have been nine attacks on ships in the past three weeks, compared with six in the previous three weeks.

Since the US-led strikes began on 11 January, shipping using the vital Red Sea trade route has dropped by 29%.

That's a greater rate of decline than between the start of Houthi attacks in November and the beginning of the US-led action.


www.bbc.com

US and UK strikes fail to slow Houthi attacks

BBC Verify analysis shows how Houthi tactics have changed, as commercial shipping traffic in the Red Sea halves.
www.bbc.com
 
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea

Yemen's Houthis on Thursday said their naval forces targeted an unidentified British merchant vessel in the Red Sea in the group's campaign to disrupt shipping to protest Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

Earlier on Thursday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organisation said that an explosion was reported at a distance off a vessel's starboard side west of Yemen's Hodeidah.

The vessel and crew were reported safe, UKMTO said. It was unclear whether it was the ship targeted by the Houthis.

The Houthis' attacks on shipping "will persist until the aggression stops and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted," the Houthi military spokesperson said in a statement.



www.ndtv.com

Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea

Yemen's Houthis on Thursday said their naval forces targeted an unidentified British merchant vessel in the Red Sea in the group's campaign to disrupt shipping to protest Israel's bombardment of Gaza.
www.ndtv.com www.ndtv.com
 
The latest round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen are "not an escalation" of the conflict, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that three sites were hit by RAF Typhoon jets on Saturday night.

More than 30 targets were struck in the third wave of joint UK and US attacks on the Iran-backed group.

It comes after the US hit sites Syria and Iraq on Friday, following a deadly attack on a US military base.

On Saturday, 36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen were hit by air strikes from a coalition of eight countries.

Houthis have been targeting ships they say are linked to Israel and the West that travel through the important Red Sea trade route.

Mr Shapps said the latest strikes were not an escalation in hostilities, but instead were designed "to protect innocent lives and preserve freedom of navigation".

He added that he was confident they had "further degraded the Houthis' capabilities".

The UK and US attacks were supported by forces from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

In a joint statement, the countries said they were acting in response to continued attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

They said they were specifically targeting sites associated with "deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defence systems, and radars".

RAF Typhoon FGR4s flying from RAF Akrotiri military base in Cyprus were responsible for hitting three of the targets, the Ministry of Defence has said, which were "identified using careful intelligence analysis".

These include two stations - one in As Salif and the other in Al Munirah - that the UK believes were used to control Houthi drones, as well as a "significant" number of targets in Bani.

The Ministry of Defence said the air strikes were "very carefully planned to ensure minimal risk of civilian casualties".

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the Houthi attacks "must stop", saying the third wave of joint UK and US air strikes on Saturday took place after "repeated warnings" to the rebel militant group.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, he said: "Their reckless actions are putting innocent lives at risk, threatening the freedom of navigation and destabilising the region."

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said a message was being sent to the Houthis that they will "continue to bear further consequences" if they do not stop their Red Sea attacks.

The joint action came a day after the US launched its own strikes in Syria and Iraq.

They were targeting an Iran-backed militia group which the US has blamed for a drone attack on a military base that killed three soldiers.

Iran - which has previously denied playing a role in that drone attack - said the strikes "will have no result other than intensifying tensions and instability in the region".

Following days of action against Iran-backed groups by the UK and US, Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron told The Sunday Times that the country must be "held accountable" for its proxies.

"We need to send the strongest possible signal to Iran that what they're doing through their proxies is unacceptable," he said.

Lord Cameron said he has told Iran's foreign minister that "you created them, you backed them, you financed them, you provided them with weapons, and you will ultimately be held accountable for what they do."

The Houthis began attacking merchant vessels last November, saying they were responding to Israel's military ground operation in Gaza.

Since then, the group has launched dozens of attacks on commercial tankers passing through the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

In response, the US and UK launched a wave of air strikes against dozens of Houthi targets on 11 January.

Source: BBC

www.bbc.com

Grant Shapps says UK and US strikes on Yemen Houthis 'not an escalation'

More than 30 targets were hit in Yemen in the third round of joint strikes on the Iran-backed group.
www.bbc.com
 
British-owned cargo vessel attacked by Houthis in Red Sea

A British-owned cargo vessel has been attacked in the Red Sea, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

The ship was attacked west of Hodeida in Yemen just after midnight on Tuesday.

Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack.

The UKMTO said the ship's master was "aware of a small craft on his Port side" before a projectile was fired at the ship.

No crew were injured and the vessel sustained small damages to its bridge windows.

The vessel was deemed safe to continue its journey.

Maritime security firm Ambrey identified the vessel as a Barbados-flagged general cargo ship owned by a British company, saying it incurred physical damage from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while sailing southeast through the Red Sea.



news.sky.com

British-owned cargo vessel attacked by Houthis in Red Sea

On Monday, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told the Commons the UK would not hesitate to respond again "in self-defence" to Houthi attacks in Yemen.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
Germany sent a powerful air defense frigate on Thursday to join an European Union naval mission in the Red Sea that will be launched in mid-February to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia.

Many commercial shippers have diverted vessels following attacks by the Houthis, who control much of Yemen and say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war in Gaza.

“Free sea trade routes are the basis of our industry and of our capability to defend ourselves,” the chief of the German navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, told reporters in Berlin.

“The current situation in the Red Sea has already caused bottlenecks in supply and forced some companies to stop their production,” he said, adding that more than 90 percent of all goods reached Europe and Germany by sea.

The United States and other countries in December launched a mission to allay fears that disruption in one of the world’s top trading arteries could hit the global economy.

But some US allies, notably European countries, have raised reservations about the plan, which has seen the US and Britain launch air strikes on Houthi positions, and baulked at the idea of being under Washington’s command.

France, Greece and Italy are among the countries that will participate in the EU mission named Aspides, meaning protector, that initially will see three vessels under EU command.

They will be mandated to protect commercial ships and intercept attacks, but not take part in strikes against the Houthis on land.

The German frigate Hesse left its North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven for the Red Sea, but its participation in the mission still hinges on an EU mandate and national parliamentary approval expected at the end of February.

The vessel is built for air defense, equipped with radars that can detect targets at a range of up to 400 kms (248 miles) and missiles to shoot down targets such as ballistic missiles and drones at a range of more than 160 kms.

“We expect the entire spectrum of direct and indirect attacks, reaching from wide-ranging ballistic missiles ... to drones and remote-controlled boats in kamikaze mode,” Kaack said.

Source: Al Arabiya

 
Germany sends frigate to help secure Red Sea shipping

A German navy frigate set sail for the Red Sea on Thursday with the aim of protecting commercial ships from attacks by Yemeni rebels, as part of a planned European Union mission.

The deployment marked “the most serious engagement of a unit of the German navy in many decades,” navy chief Jan Christian Kaack told reporters in Berlin.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels have launched a series of attacks on ships crossing the Red Sea since November, saying their campaign was in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.

The Red Sea normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.

The unrest has prompted some shipping companies to reroute their vessels away from the Red Sea, making them take the longer and costlier route around the southern tip of Africa.

The “Hesse” frigate set off from the northern German port of Wilhelmshaven with a crew of around 240 people, Kaack said.

It will be able to respond to potential attacks including from missiles, drones and remotely controlled “kamikaze boats”, he said. It is expected to be tasked with escorting commercial ships and intercepting attacks.

The frigate’s mission still needs to be confirmed by the German parliament and the European Union, however.

The EU is currently considering a naval mission to improve security for merchant ships in the Red Sea. A decision could be announced before the next meeting of EU foreign ministers on February 19. Countries including Italy, France and Belgium have signalled an interest in joining the mission.

US and British forces meanwhile have in recent weeks carried out joint strikes aimed at reducing the Huthis’ ability to target vessels transiting the key Red Sea trade route, but the rebels have vowed to continue their attacks. Most trade between Asia and Europe usually passes through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal that leads to the Mediterranean Sea.


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Germany sends frigate to help secure Red Sea shipping

BERLIN: A German navy frigate set sail for the Red Sea on Thursday with the aim of protecting commercial ships from...
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Yemen’s Houthis target cargo ship bound for Iran, shipping analysts say

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted a cargo ship in the Red Sea which shipping analysts said on Monday had been carrying corn to Iran.

It appeared to be the first time the Houthis have targeted an Iran-bound vessel since starting attacks on international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, shipping sources said.

A US defense official said it was likely that the ship had been targeted but not hit, but provided no further comment. Earlier reports by maritime specialists suggested the vessel may have been damaged but that there were no casualties.

The Houthis identified the vessel as the Star Iris. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in a televised statement the ship was American but maritime-shipping trackers said the Marshall Islands-flagged ship was Greek-owned.

The Star Iris had been transporting a corn cargo from Brazil to Iran, according to ship tracking analysis from data and analytics group Kpler.

“The Star Iris, like every Iran-bound bulker, had not diverted away from the Red Sea, perhaps unafraid of attacks from Iran-backed Houthis who could be considered ‘friendly’ given the vessel’s destination,” said Ishan Bhanu, lead agricultural commodities analyst at Kpler.

“It was carrying corn from Brazil. At a projected 4.5 million tons for this year, flows from Brazil make for the majority of Iran’s corn imports.”

A regional security official said the attack appeared designed to “show Iran does not control the Houthis and they act independently,” and that the Houthis had informed Tehran in advance.

Houthi militants in Yemen, who control the country’s most populous regions, have repeatedly fired on international commercial shipping since mid-November. Their targets have been vessels with commercial ties to the United States, Britain or Israel, shipping and insurance sources say.

The attacks have prompted several companies to halt Red Sea journeys and opt for a longer and more expensive route around Africa, and US and British warplanes have carried out retaliatory strikes across Yemen.

Source: Al Arabiya

 
International media labeled them as Iran-backed, claiming they attacked Iran. Now, how will international media respond?
 
Yemen Houthi leader: No ships linked to Israel passed during last week

The leader of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday that the group had been able to prevent Israeli-linked ships from passing through the Gulf of Aden over the last week.

“The Americans and the British failed to secure the passage of any ship heading to Israel. They were unable to protect these ships. They can no longer protect even American-British ships, and this is a real and major victory for us,” Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech.

Houthi, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, have repeatedly fired on international commercial ships since mid-November.

www.brecorder.com

Yemen Houthi leader: No ships linked to Israel passed during last week

CAIRO: The leader of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday that the group had been able to prevent...
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Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis will press on with attacks on Red Sea shipping in solidarity with the Palestinians as long as Israel continues to commit “crimes” against them, their leader said on Thursday.

“Our operations have a big impact on the enemy which constitute a great success and a real triumph,” Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a televised speech.

He said the group would continue to support the Palestinians despite US and British strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation for the Houthi attacks on international shipping in
the Red Sea.

The Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping and forced firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread and destabilize the wider Middle East.

Al Arabiya

 
An immediate ceasefire is required in Gaza because if the Middle East is in deep crisis, it will also affect Israel and America.
 
India-bound oil tanker hit by missile in Red Sea attack

A Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying crude oil bound for India was struck with a missile in the Red Sea, the US State Department said on Friday.

The missile launched from Yemen hit the M/T Pollux on its port side, according to the State Department.

Earlier on Friday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency and British maritime security firm Ambrey said a Panama-flagged tanker had reportedly been hit 72 nautical miles (133 km) northwest of the port of Mokha, off Yemen.



 
US forces conducted two strikes against a mobile anti-ship cruise missile and a mobile unmanned surface vessel (USV) launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday.

Four anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Houthi-held areas over the Red Sea towards commercial ship MT Pollux between Friday at 1:15 p.m. local time and 1 a.m. on Saturday, CENTCOM said in a post on X.

It added that there were no reported injuries or damage to the MT Pollux or any other vessel in the areas.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Saturday that they had fired missiles at oil tanker Pollux, which US officials said the previous day had been hit by a missile.

The US State Department said on Friday that the Pollux, a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying crude oil bound for India, was hit by a missile on its port side.

“The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against a British oil ship (Pollux) in the Red Sea with a large number of appropriate naval missiles, and the strikes were accurate and direct,” the Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement.

Al Arabiya

 
US carries out five strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen

The United States has conducted five strikes in areas of Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said.

It said it struck three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned surface vessel, and one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV) on Saturday.

“This is the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV since attacks began on Oct. 23,” CENTCOM said in a post on X on Sunday.

CENTCOM said it had determined the missiles and vessels presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the area.

There was no immediate comment from the Iran-aligned Houthi group.

The strikes come amid heightened tensions in the region, where Houthi fighters have carried out attacks on commercial and military shipping since November.

The Houthis initially said that they would target Israel-linked ships in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, but later expanded their targets to include vessels linked to the United Kingdom and the US.

London and Washington have responded by hitting Houthi targets in Yemen multiple times, characterising the Houthi attacks as indiscriminate and a threat to global trade.


www.aljazeera.com

US carries out five strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen

US says it hit three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel and one unmanned surface vessel.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
Cricket Warrior said:
US carries out five strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen

The United States has conducted five strikes in areas of Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said.

It said it struck three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned surface vessel, and one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV) on Saturday.

“This is the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV since attacks began on Oct. 23,” CENTCOM said in a post on X on Sunday.

CENTCOM said it had determined the missiles and vessels presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the area.

There was no immediate comment from the Iran-aligned Houthi group.

The strikes come amid heightened tensions in the region, where Houthi fighters have carried out attacks on commercial and military shipping since November.

The Houthis initially said that they would target Israel-linked ships in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, but later expanded their targets to include vessels linked to the United Kingdom and the US.

London and Washington have responded by hitting Houthi targets in Yemen multiple times, characterising the Houthi attacks as indiscriminate and a threat to global trade.


www.aljazeera.com

US carries out five strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen

US says it hit three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel and one unmanned surface vessel.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
Click to expand...
It seems more like the West is on a mission to conquer the Arab world rather than solving the issue through peace talks.
 
Disruption to shipping in the Red Sea region will impact QatarEnergy’s deliveries of liquefied natural gas (LNG) but not its production, CEO Saad al-Kaabi said on Monday.

“It’s only going to take longer to get it there. But it will not reach a point where we have to stop production because there isn’t any ship. We’re okay,” al-Kaabi said at a groundbreaking ceremony at the Ras Laffan petrochemical complex.

Al-Kaabi added that ships having to divert away from the Red Sea and travel around Africa instead was not ideal as this added cost and took longer.

One of the world’s largest exporters of LNG, QatarEnergy said in January that it had stopped sailing via the Red Sea citing security concerns.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel.

“Whether you talk about LNG, crude, LPG condensate, it’s exactly the same thing for all these products,” al-Kaabi said.

“It’s going to add cost, it’s going to add time and it’s also going to add constraint with actual deliveries.”

Sailing from Qatar to Europe via Africa’s Cape of Good Hope could add around nine days to the 18-day voyage.

Al-Kaabi, while noting most of QatarEnergy’s production goes to Asia, said he hoped the Red Sea problem would be resolved with an end to fighting in Gaza.

“I think when that stops, according to what we hear from the Houthis …hopefully there’s a ceasefire soon ...so that the economic impact on the entire world stops.”

Source: Al Arabiya

 
Considering the impact on LNG deliveries due to Red Sea disruptions, it might be beneficial for Pakistan also to intervene diplomatically and seek LNG supply from Qatar.
 
A US-owned cargo ship came under attack twice in two hours off southern Yemen, maritime security firm Ambrey said on Monday.

The Greek-flagged bulk carrier reported a “missile attack” in the Gulf of Aden before another projectile hit the water just meters from the ship, Ambrey said.

“The vessel reported a projectile impacting the water 10-15 meters off the vessel’s starboard side,” the report said. “Two hours prior the bulker had reported the first incident.”

No injuries or damage were reported in either incident and the ship was continuing its journey to Aden, Ambrey said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, run by the British navy, said the ship reported “an explosion in close proximity to the vessel” but no injuries or damage.

The Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of war-torn Yemen, have been harassing shipping in the region since November in a campaign they say is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war.

Source: Al Arabiya
 
A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that damaged a Belize-flagged ship traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has forced the crew to abandon the vessel, authorities said Monday. Another ship reportedly came twice under attack in the Gulf of Aden.

The Iran-backed Houthis also claimed they shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, something not immediately acknowledged by U.S. forces in the region. However, the Houthis have downed U.S. drones before.


AP News
 

Yemen’s Houthis claim attacks on Israeli, US ships​

Yemen’s Houthi rebels say they have targeted what they claim to be an Israeli cargo ship, the MSC Silver, in the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea with a number of missiles.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea did not elaborate, but in a statement on Tuesday said the group had also used drones to target a number of United States warships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea as well as sites in the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat.

However, the British maritime security firm Ambrey said the container ship targeted by the Houthis on Tuesday was Liberia-flagged and headed for Somalia.

“The Houthis characterised the vessel as Israeli. The operator was publicly listed as [in] cooperation with ZIM and regularly called [at] Israeli ports,” the Ambrey advisory note said.

Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd, commonly known as ZIM, is a publicly held Israeli international cargo shipping company based in Israel.

The Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, have attacked vessels with commercial ties to the US, the United Kingdom and Israel.

Despite US-UK strikes on Houthi military sites in Yemen, the Iran-aligned Houthis have promised to continue targeting ships linked to Israel in solidarity with Palestinians until Israeli forces stop their war in Gaza.

“There is no danger to international or European navigation so long as there are no aggressive operations, and thus, there is no need to militarise the Red Sea,” Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam said in a post on X on Tuesday.

“What the world is impatiently waiting for is not the militarisation of the Red Sea, but rather an urgent and comprehensive declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza, for humanitarian reasons that are clear to anyone.”

Two US officials also said on Tuesday that the Houthis had shot down a US military Mq-9 drone near Yemen, the second time they have shot down a US drone in recent months during a near-daily ***-for-tat between the rebels and US forces.

One of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said initial information showed the US drone, made by General Atomics, was hit near the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Monday. The official said information could change and did not say if the drone was in international airspace.

The second official said the drone was shot down by a Houthi surface-to-air missile fired from near Hodeidah.

The comments by the officials confirm a claim by the Houthis that they had shot down a drone near the city, which lies on the Red Sea.

The Houthis had said on Monday that they had attacked the UK-registered Rubymar cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden, which was at risk of sinking, raising the stakes in their campaign to disrupt global shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

www.aljazeera.com

Yemen’s Houthis claim attacks on Israeli, US ships

Houthi rebels say ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea are their latest maritime targets.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
US military drone shot down near Yemen, US officials say

A U.S. military Mq-9 drone was shot down near Yemen by Iran-backed militants, two U.S. officials said on Tuesday, the second time such a shoot down has taken place in recent months during a near daily ***-for-tat between the group and U.S. forces.

One of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said initial information showed that the U.S. drone, made by General Atomics, was hit near Hodeidah on Monday. The official said information could change and did not say if the drone was in international airspace.

The second official said the drone was shot down by a Houthi surface-to-air missile fired from near Hodeida.

The comments by the officials confirm a claim by the Houthis that they had shot down a drone near the port city.


 
Cricket Warrior said:
US military drone shot down near Yemen, US officials say

A U.S. military Mq-9 drone was shot down near Yemen by Iran-backed militants, two U.S. officials said on Tuesday, the second time such a shoot down has taken place in recent months during a near daily ***-for-tat between the group and U.S. forces.

One of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said initial information showed that the U.S. drone, made by General Atomics, was hit near Hodeidah on Monday. The official said information could change and did not say if the drone was in international airspace.

The second official said the drone was shot down by a Houthi surface-to-air missile fired from near Hodeida.

The comments by the officials confirm a claim by the Houthis that they had shot down a drone near the port city.


Click to expand...

Each of these drones costs millions of Dollars.

Just checked on Google. Each Mq-9 drone costs $30-million. Houthis have shot down 2 drones.

It is turning out to be costly for the Americans.
 
BouncerGuy said:
Houthis are costing America millions of dollars now.
Click to expand...


Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have introduced “submarine weapons” in their attacks on seagoing vessels, which they say they are carrying out in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza War, their leader said on Thursday.

“Operations in the Red and Arabian Seas, Bab al-Mandeb Starit, and the Gulf of Aden are continuing, escalating, and effective,” Abdulmalik al-Houthi added in a televised speech.

Earlier on Thursday, the Houthis sent shippers and insurers formal notice of what they termed a ban on vessels linked to Israel, the US and Britain from sailing in surrounding seas, seeking to reinforce their military campaign in support of Palestinians.

The move to prohibit such ships from the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian sea came as British maritime agencies reported a missile attack set ablaze a cargo vessel off the southern coast of Yemen.

Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen have launched repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden since November in support of Palestinians, as the Israel-Hamas war continues and the Gaza death toll reaches almost 30,000.

The Houthi strikes have disrupted a route accounting for about 12 percent of global maritime traffic and forcing firms to take a longer, more expensive route around Africa.

The Houthis’ communication, the first to the shipping industry outlining a formalized ban, came in the form of two notices from the Houthis’ newly-dubbed Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center sent to shipping insurers and firms.

Ships that are wholly or partially owned by Israeli individuals or entities and Israel-flagged vessels, or are owned by US or British individuals or entities, or sailing under their flags, are banned from the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, Thursday’s notices said.

“The Humanitarian Operations Center was established in Sanaa to coordinate the safe and peaceful passage of ships and vessels that have no connection to Israel,” a senior Houthi official told Reuters on Thursday.

The attacks have already sent shipping insurance premiums rocketing, and the Houthi agency’s newly-formalized remit could further affect prices.

Al Arabiya

 
shortbread said:
They're printing trillions, two drones mean absolutely nothing to them. Their arms are 'made in America', the money circulates within the economy.
Click to expand...

They have a debt of more than 34-trillion USD.

Printing excessive money devalues the currency.
 
sweep_shot said:
They have a debt of more than 34-trillion USD.

Printing excessive money devalues the currency.
Click to expand...
It's the US dollar, normal currency rules don't apply or it would have been literally worthless a decade ago. Like it or not it's the world currency.
 
The Houthis have recruited and trained more than 200,000 new fighters since the group began its actions in the Red Sea in support of Palestine, a Houthi spokesperson says.

To pressure Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza, the group has been intercepting and attacking Israel-linked ships passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on their way to the Suez Canal. Popular support gave the Houthis enormous political capital in Yemen and led to the recruitment of “tens of thousands” of new fighters, according to analysts and statements by the group.

Analysts are concerned that this surge may drastically alter the political landscape in Yemen and scupper any chances of a ceasefire in Yemen’s near-decade of civil war.

The Houthis have also widened their attacks to include ships linked to a United States-led coalition that is currently attacking their positions in Yemen.

Despite fears over future Houthi offensives that could hinder a ceasefire deal, Nasr al-Din Amer, a Houthi official who oversees the Yemeni news network Saba, told Al Jazeera that an agreement was still on the table.


www.aljazeera.com

Houthis are recruiting record fighters. How will it affect Yemen?

The war in Gaza has boosted recruits for the Yemeni group. But it has also delayed hopes for peace in Yemen.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
Cricket Warrior said:
The Houthis have recruited and trained more than 200,000 new fighters since the group began its actions in the Red Sea in support of Palestine, a Houthi spokesperson says.

To pressure Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza, the group has been intercepting and attacking Israel-linked ships passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on their way to the Suez Canal. Popular support gave the Houthis enormous political capital in Yemen and led to the recruitment of “tens of thousands” of new fighters, according to analysts and statements by the group.

Analysts are concerned that this surge may drastically alter the political landscape in Yemen and scupper any chances of a ceasefire in Yemen’s near-decade of civil war.

The Houthis have also widened their attacks to include ships linked to a United States-led coalition that is currently attacking their positions in Yemen.

Despite fears over future Houthi offensives that could hinder a ceasefire deal, Nasr al-Din Amer, a Houthi official who oversees the Yemeni news network Saba, told Al Jazeera that an agreement was still on the table.


www.aljazeera.com

Houthis are recruiting record fighters. How will it affect Yemen?

The war in Gaza has boosted recruits for the Yemeni group. But it has also delayed hopes for peace in Yemen.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
Click to expand...

These are not good signs because it means international sea trade will keep getting affected which can potentially impact the economies of small countries.
 
US and UK carry out fresh strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

The Pentagon says US and UK fighter planes have carried out strikes on 18 Houthi sites in Yemen - the fourth such joint operation by the allies.

The US says Saturday's strikes were directed against storage facilities, drones, air defence systems, radars and a helicopter of the militant movement.

The UK says the allies acted to "further degrade" Houthi capabilities.

There have been sustained attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on shipping in the important Red Sea trade route.

The Houthis - who control large swathes of Yemen including the capital Sanaa - have been targeting vessels they say are linked to Israel and the West in response to the continuing Israel-Gaza war.

Global supply chains are now facing severe disruption and rising costs as a result of some of the biggest shipping companies diverting journeys away from the Red Sea - one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

In a joint statement, the Pentagon said that Saturday's "necessary and proportionate strikes specifically targeted 18 Houthi targets across eight locations in Yemen associated with Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defence systems, radars, and a helicopter.

"These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade, naval vessels, and the lives of innocent mariners in one of the world's most critical waterways."

The statement said "the Houthis' now more than 45 attacks on commercial and naval vessels since mid-November constitute a threat to the global economy, as well as regional security and stability, and demand an international response".

The strikes were carried out "with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand", the statement added.

Shortly afterwards, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed that America "will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways".

Separately, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said "it is our duty to protect lives at sea and preserve freedom of navigation".

"That is why the Royal Air Force engaged in a fourth wave of precision strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen".

The US military said earlier in the day that it had destroyed seven Houthi mobile anti-ship missiles that were being prepared for strikes.

BBC
 
Yemen’s Houthis targeted MV Torm Thor, a US-flagged, owned, and operated oil tanker, in the Gulf of Aden, the Iran-aligned group’s military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Sunday, as the militants continue to attack shipping lanes in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The group targeted the tanker with “a number of appropriate naval missiles,” Sarea added in a televised speech.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the USS Mason, a guided missile destroyer, on Saturday shot down one anti-ship ballistic missile launched into the Gulf of Aden from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that was likely targeting the tanker.

Neither the USS Mason nor MV Torm Thor were damaged and there were no injuries, CENTCOM added in a statement.

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have launched exploding drones and missiles at commercial vessels since November 19 as a protest against Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

The US and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and redesignated the militia as a terrorist group.

The turmoil from Israel’s war with the Palestinian group Hamas has spilled over to some extent into other parts of the Middle East. Apart from the Houthi attacks on vital shipping lanes, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group has traded fire with Israel along the Israel-Lebanon border and pro-Iran Iraqi militia have attacked bases that host US forces.

Al Arabiya

 
I'm worried the USA might invade Yemen, like it did in Afghanistan and Iraq.
 
British firms say they are facing higher shipping costs and delays of up to four weeks due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, a business group said.

More than a third of the firms surveyed by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said they had been affected.

That figure rose to more than half among exporters responding to the survey.

The added costs could contribute to higher prices in the UK economy generally, the BCC warned.

"There has been spare capacity in the shipping-freight industry to respond to the difficulties, which has bought us some time," William Bain, BCC head of trade policy, said.

However, speaking to the BBC's Today programme he said: "The pressures are getting higher and higher and there's only so long that costs can be absorbed... [The scale of price rises] is not as high as the pandemic - but these cannot be kept away from prices for long."

Exporters, retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers were more likely than other firms to be feeling the impact, the BCC found, leaving some short of goods to sell to customers and components for production lines, or facing cashflow difficulties.

Rerouting shipments around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, was adding an extra three to four weeks to delivery times, the BCC said, with some firms citing price rises of more than 300% for container hire, it said.

Rachael Waring, managing director of Warings Furniture which imports interior decor for pubs and restaurants, said the conflict had been affecting her business since before Christmas.

"We have had to budget for extra costs, because the quotes we're getting for containers have been considerably higher," she told the BBC's Wake Up To Money.

She is also offering clients extra services to make up for delays. But she hopes to counteract some of the cost increases by negotiating lower prices with the Chinese manufacturers she sources from, and avoid further price rises for customers if she can.

The BCC, which represents more than 50,000 businesses across its network, said given the circumstances it would like to see extra government support for exporters, including the formation of an exports council to promote trade.

"The UK economy saw a drop in its total goods exports for 2023, and with global demand weak, there is a need for the government to look at providing support in the March Budget," Mr Bain said.

He said that small businesses like Rachael's would be finding things more difficult than larger companies, and suggested the government could help by reforming business rates, for example, to help them through "these difficult times in trade".

Shipping rates have increased after Houthis attacked commercial vessels traveling through the Red Sea following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. The Iran-backed group said it was targeting ships linked to Israel, the US and the UK in support of Hamas.

The US and the UK have responded with air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

The Red Sea is the fastest sea route between Asia and Europe. Large shipping firms, including Mediterranean Shipping Company and Maersk, have diverted vessels to the much longer route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope and then up the west side of the continent. But that has pushed up costs, including for insurance, as well as creating delays.

Earlier this month one of the UK's best known tea brands, Tetley, warned supplies were "much tighter" than it would like and rival Yorkshire Tea said it was also monitoring the situation closely.

The BCC heard from more than 1,000 firms in their annual survey, which took place between 15 January and 9 February.

Of those responding 90% were small firms, with fewer than 250 employees.

BBC

www.bbc.com

Red Sea attacks delaying goods and pushing up costs, firms say

Houthi attacks are increasing costs and causing delays, the British Chambers of Commerce says.
www.bbc.com
 
Not only pushing up the costs but fresh products facing severe quality issues which causes huge losses.
 
UK exporters hit by Red Sea disruption: survey

More than half of British exporters are suffering from disruption arising from attacks by Yemen’s Huthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea, a survey showed Monday.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) business group revealed the main finding in a survey of more than 1,000 companies.

The BCC said in a statement that more than 55 percent of exporters stated that they have been impacted by Red Sea disruption. Some 53 percent of manufacturers and business-to-consumer firms, like retailers, have also been affected.

“The main impacts cited by businesses are increased costs and delays,” the BCC said.

Some exporters revealed that costs had surged by 300 percent for container hire, while logistical delays have added up to four weeks to delivery times.

Other respondents also cited knock-on effects including cashflow difficulties and component shortages.



Brecorder
 
British maritime security firm Ambrey said it had received a report on Tuesday of an incident approximately 50 nautical miles west of Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeidah.

A merchant vessel reported that a warship was "firing", Ambrey added in an advisory note.

The Houthi militia, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have fired exploding drones and missiles at ships with commercial ties to the U.S., Britain and Israel, prompting retaliatory Western strikes on Houthi military sites.


Reuters
 
A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday.

The Rubymar had been drifting after the attack in February. It marks the first ship sunk by the Houthis amid their monthslong attacks on shipping in the vital waterway.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed the ship sank. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as the information had not been cleared for publication.

The Rubymar’s Beirut-based manager could not be reached for comment.

 
FearlessRoar said:
A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday.

The Rubymar had been drifting after the attack in February. It marks the first ship sunk by the Houthis amid their monthslong attacks on shipping in the vital waterway.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed the ship sank. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as the information had not been cleared for publication.

The Rubymar’s Beirut-based manager could not be reached for comment.

Click to expand...

Why wasn't the ship fixed? So, they allowed a damaged ship to be operated.

Just wow!
 
sweep_shot said:
Why wasn't the ship fixed? So, they allowed a damaged ship to be operated.

Just wow!
Click to expand...
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis vowed on Sunday to continue targeting British ships in the Gulf of Aden following the sinking of UK-owned vessel Rubymar.

The US military confirmed on Saturday that the UK-owned vessel Rubymar had sunk after being struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Yemeni Houthi militants on Feb. 18.

“Yemen will continue to sink more British ships, and any repercussions or other damages will be added to Britain’s bill,” Hussein al-Ezzi, deputy foreign minister in the Houthi-led government, said in a post on X.

“It is a rogue state that attacks Yemen and partners with America in sponsoring ongoing crimes against civilians in Gaza.”

Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Their Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilize the wider Middle East.

The US and Britain began striking Houthi targets in Yemen in January in retaliation for the attacks on Red Sea shipping.

 
Britain needs a long hard look in the mirror. We don't have the financial or military might to pick up a conflict right now. Unfortunately the country's governance is intellectually deficient and peaked at the moment when lizz truss the blonde ape became a prime minister. America's fast growing GDP is 8 times that of UK's stagnant one. Let America fight her wars, UK needs to resolve issues at home first.
 
Three Red Sea underwater cables providing internet and telecommunications around the world have been cut as the waterway remains a target of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said Monday. Meanwhile, a suspected Houthi attack set a ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden.

What cut the lines remains unclear. There has been concern about the cables being targeted in the Houthi campaign, which the rebels describe as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis have denied attacking the lines, however.

While global shipping has already been disrupted through the Red Sea, a crucial route for cargo and energy shipments from Asia and the Middle East to Europe, the sabotage of telecommunication lines could further escalate the monthslong crisis.



 
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