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

A suspected attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia on a ship in the Gulf of Aden caused “fatalities” Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, citing two US officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they didn’t have authorization to speak publicly about the killings on board the True Confidence.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center added that the Barbados-flagged vessel was no longer under the command of the crew and that they had abandoned it.

The exact extent of the damage remained unclear. However, it appeared to be serious.

Yemen’s Houthis didn’t immediately claim the attack, though it typically takes them several hours to acknowledge their assaults. They’ve been attacking ships sailing past Yemen since November over Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

 
The thought here is that they aren't afraid of the military might of America and the UK.
 
US conducts strikes in Yemen and downs Houthi drones

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it conducted self-defence strikes on Thursday against four mobile Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) and one Houthi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

CENTCOM said its forces shot down three UAVs launched toward the Gulf of Aden from areas controlled by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

REUTERS
 
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis discussed “expanding confrontations and encircling” Israel in a meeting in Lebanon with Hamas and other Palestinian factions, a Houthi official told AFP on Saturday.

Houthi attacks on Red Sea ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war have disrupted global trade, actions the Houthis say are in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Representatives from Hamas, whose October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war, the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine met last week with the Houthis in Beirut, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Palestinian sources on Friday told AFP that the meeting had taken place, with one of them saying the representatives discussed “mechanisms to coordinate their actions of resistance” for the “next stage” of the war in Gaza, now in its sixth month.

Another Palestinian source, also requesting anonymity to share details of the meeting, told AFP that those present discussed the “complementary role of Ansar Allah (the Houthis) alongside Palestinian factions, especially in the event of an Israeli offensive on Rafah.”

Most of the Gaza Strip’s 2.4 million people have sought refuge in Rafah, on the coastal territory’s southern border with Egypt, the last major urban area spared an Israeli ground offensive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday he had approved the military’s plan for a ground operation in the city, without providing a timeline.

The Houthis, Hamas and Islamic Jihad are all part of the Iran-backed “axis of resistance,” an alliance of groups hostile to Israel and the United States that also includes Lebanese Hezbollah and armed groups in Iraq.

In a speech Thursday, Houthi leader Malik al-Houthi Abdul threatened to expand the group’s attacks to target ships avoiding the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by sailing south around Africa.

 
British security firm Ambrey said on Sunday that it had received a report that a Yemeni fishing vessel had been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.

"Crew on board the fishing vessel were off-boarded in Bosaso, Somalia. One crew member was shot," Ambrey said in an advisory note.

Ambrey does not assess a heightened threat posed by this vessel, as it is believed the incident was related to a row between two parties.

"Ambrey understands that the incident was not Somali piracy-related, but related to a dispute between Yemeni fishermen and a local armed group operating west of Bosaso," it updated later.

"The Yemeni crew member shot during the incident has since died in Bosaso," it said, adding that the vessel, which has 21 Yemenis aboard, is expected to return to Yemen on March 18.


Reuters
 

US Navy aircraft carrier faces relentless battle against Houthi attacks​


It's not just merchant ships being targeted by the Houthis in the Red Sea. The US carrier strike group trying to protect them has also been under constant threat too.

The BBC is the first British media to visit the USS Dwight D Eisenhower since it began this mission in November.

"This is deadly stuff," says Captain Dave Wroe, who commands the four US Navy destroyers which provide the extra protection for the carrier.

It arrived soon after Yemen's Houthi's began to target merchant vessels - they say in response to Israel's assault on Gaza.

Captain Wroe lists the threats they've been facing over the past four months: anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and now unmanned underwater vessels, or UUVs, all loaded with explosives.

UUVs are the latest threat. He says the F-18 jets on board the carrier have recently destroyed UUVs, before they could be launched.

Captain Wroe says the Houthis have posed the greatest challenge to the US Navy in recent history.

"This is the most since World War Two," he says. That was the last time the US operated in an area where they could be fired upon every day.

The tempo of operations on the aircraft carrier itself has also been unrelenting - with dozens of sorties being flown round the clock.

We watch as the deck crew direct the F-18s with luminous sticks, which they use to manoeuvre the jets round the flight deck at night.

Up in the carrier's flight control tower, Commander George Zintac, known as the Air Boss, is having to choreograph their movements - with a jet either launching or landing in just over a minute.

He's been in the US Navy for more than 30 years, but says "this is probably the most flying I've done on a deployment - everyday we're flying a tonne".

In daylight you can see what they've been doing. On the side of each cockpit they've painted the silhouettes of the bombs they've dropped, the radar stations destroyed, and the drones they've shot down from the air. They've already fired more than 300 bombs and missiles.

Row after row of more munitions are lined up in the hangar, ready for loading.

From the USS Eisenhower, or Ike as she's called by the crew, you can still see a few large merchant ships - tankers and bulk carriers sailing in the distance. But they're fewer in number.

Normally, the Red Sea carries around 20% of the world's maritime trade. It's the key route to Europe through the Suez Canal. It's less vital to America, but they're the ones doing the most to try to restore freedom of navigation.

But even with the presence of a US carrier strike group, the Red Sea remains extremely dangerous waters.

While we're on board we're told the Houthis have fired another ballistic missile, traveling at more than three times the speed of sound. The crews on the US destroyers have just minutes to track them and shoot them down. On this occasion it's well out of range and the missile falls into the water.

Others, though, have successfully hit merchant vessels. They've already struck several, sunk one - the Rubymar - and killed three crew on board the bulk carrier True Confidence.

Rear Admiral Marc Miguez, the Carrier Strike Group commander, sees the signs of continuing sea trade as evidence their presence has had some success.

He believes strikes led by the US, with the help of Britain, have already degraded some of the Houthis' military capabilities. But it certainly hasn't deterred or stopped them.

Rear Admiral Miguez believes the Houthis are not acting on their own.

"Iran is backing the Houthis right now, not only with weapons and technology, but also providing targeting information intelligence and support," he says.

I ask why then is the US not also targeting Iran? "That's a policy decision," he says, "but the roots of this start with Iran."

In reality, US President Joe Biden does not want to spark a wider Middle East conflict, particularly in an election year.

Admiral Miguez says they'll stay for "as long as we're needed".

But there are limits to sustaining this level of military presence.

Unlike the Houthis, they're away from home with few creature comforts. Every meal on board is literally feeding the five thousand. The food bill on the carrier alone is $2m (£1.6m) a month.

Captain Chris Hill, the commanding officer of Ike, says "people need breaks, they need to go home".

But he says they don't yet have dates for when that'll happen. So one of his tasks is to maintain the crews morale and resilience.

He even has a dog on board to help. Demo, a facility dog who's been trained for life on the carrier, walks the mess decks to help lift the crew's spirits.

He's not short of affection and Captain Hill says Demo has helped reduce some of the stress of being away for months on end. Most of the crew rarely see daylight.

But as for the USS Dwight D Eisenhower's main mission, it's still too early to judge what lasting effect it'll have achieved.

Captain Hill says: "It's difficult to define winning and losing in this kind of conflict."

"Ideally, we want to stop every Houthi attack."

When I ask whether that's achievable, he replies that it's "hard to say".

He suggests it will also require wider government and international efforts. In short, it'll take more than a powerful US carrier strike group to resolve this crisis.

Source: BBC
 
It's not just merchant ships being targeted by the Houthis in the Red Sea. The US carrier strike group trying to protect them has also been under constant threat too.

The BBC is the first British media to visit the USS Dwight D Eisenhower since it began this mission in November.

"This is deadly stuff," says Captain Dave Wroe, who commands the four US Navy destroyers which provide the extra protection for the carrier.

It arrived soon after Yemen's Houthi's began to target merchant vessels - they say in response to Israel's assault on Gaza.

Captain Wroe lists the threats they've been facing over the past four months: anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and now unmanned underwater vessels, or UUVs, all loaded with explosives.

UUVs are the latest threat. He says the F-18 jets on board the carrier have recently destroyed UUVs, before they could be launched.

Captain Wroe says the Houthis have posed the greatest challenge to the US Navy in recent history.

"This is the most since World War Two," he says. That was the last time the US operated in an area where they could be fired upon every day.

The tempo of operations on the aircraft carrier itself has also been unrelenting - with dozens of sorties being flown round the clock.

We watch as the deck crew direct the F-18s with luminous sticks, which they use to manoeuvre the jets round the flight deck at night.

F-18 jets are carrying out sorties all day and night to try to stop Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea
Up in the carrier's flight control tower, Commander George Zintac, known as the Air Boss, is having to choreograph their movements - with a jet either launching or landing in just over a minute.

He's been in the US Navy for more than 30 years, but says "this is probably the most flying I've done on a deployment - everyday we're flying a tonne".

In daylight you can see what they've been doing. On the side of each cockpit they've painted the silhouettes of the bombs they've dropped, the radar stations destroyed, and the drones they've shot down from the air. They've already fired more than 300 bombs and missiles.

Source: BBC
 

Yemen’s Houthis have carried out 50 attacks on ships since November: US official​


Yemen’s Houthi militia has attacked civilian and military ships sailing off Yemen’s shores at least 50 times since its assaults began late last year, a senior US Defense Department official said Thursday.

The Iran-backed Houthis have been striking merchant vessels transiting the vital Red Sea trade route for months despite repeated US and British airstrikes against them.

“In the Red Sea, the Houthis seek to affect this vital channel for global trade with at least 50 attacks against commercial shipping and naval vessels,” Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander told reporters.

The Houthis began attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea in November, a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

They have vowed to strike Israeli, British and American ships, as well as vessels heading to Israeli ports, disrupting traffic through the vital trade route off Yemen’s coasts.

The Houthi attacks have sent insurance costs spiraling for vessels plying the key Red Sea trade route and prompted many shipping firms to take the far longer passage around the southern tip of Africa instead.

 
The Houthis have gained the spotlight due to this Gaza-Israel conflict, and this is not good for the region. Some external forces are deliberately not allowing peace in the Middle East, whether it's Gaza, Syria, or Yemen.
 
Houthi cruise missile breaches Israeli air defences for first time

Israel on Tuesday night confirmed a Houthi cruise missile had landed near the city of Eilat in the country’s south, the first time the group has successfully breached Israeli air defences.

“A cruise missile coming from the direction of the Red Sea fell in an open area, the target was being monitored by Air Force forces,” said a statement from the Israeli military. “There were no casualties and no damage was caused. The incident is being investigated.”

Although there were no deaths or injuries, it represents a demonstration of long-range attack capability for the Iran-backed militia.

The missile was launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen, about 1,600km from the target.

The longest-range US cruise missile, the AGM-158B-2, has a range of about 1,900km.

Houthi cruise missiles used before the current Gaza war were thought to have a range of about 1,300km, based on their use on targets in Saudi Arabia during Yemen's civil war.

The group's longest-range missile, the Quds-3, has a claimed range of 2,000km and is the only type capable of flying to Eilat.

The Houthis have another long-range missile, the Toufan, but unlike a low-flying cruise weapon that sneaks under radar beams, it flies at high altitude and is more vulnerable to air defences.


www.thenationalnews.com

Houthi cruise missile breaches Israeli air defences for first time

Iran-backed group fired volleys of long-range missiles at Israel from about 1,600km away in Yemen
www.thenationalnews.com www.thenationalnews.com
 
"On March 22, between approximately 4:22 a.m. and 11:10 p.m. (Sanaa time), United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in self-defence," CENTCOM

It reported that during the timeframe, the Houthi group fired four anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen toward the Red Sea.

There were no injuries or damage reported by the US, coalition or commercial ships, it said.

CENTCOM said its forces conducted "self-defence strikes against three Houthi underground storage facilities in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen."

"Illegal Houthi attacks have killed three mariners, sunk a commercial vessel lawfully transiting the Red Sea, disrupted humanitarian aid bound for Yemen, harmed Middle East economies, and caused environmental damage," it added.

Yemen’s Houthi group has been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently announced the creation of a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter Houthi attacks.

Source: Anadolu Agency
 

Houthis attack Chinese-owned tanker in Red Sea, CENTCOM says​


A Chinese-owned oil tanker was attacked off Yemen Saturday by ballistic missiles fired by Houthi militia, who has intensified strikes on Red Sea shipping, the US military said.

The Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned and operated Huang Pu issued a distress call but did not request assistance, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on social media platform X early on Sunday.

“No casualties were reported, and the vessel resumed its course,” the statement said.

The Iran-backed militants, who control much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, have launched dozens of drone missiles and strikes on shipping over the past four months, actions they say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

CENTCOM and the British Navy’s United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a fire had broken out on board the ship but was extinguished within 30 minutes.

 
I understand their conflict with Israel and USA, but creating conflict with China is quite foolish of them
 
Houthis say six ships attacked in past 72 hours

Houthi militants in Yemen said on Tuesday they had mounted six attacks on ships with drones and missiles in the last 72 hours in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

The Houthis attacked the Maersk Saratoga, APL Detroit, and the Huang Pu after identifying them as either US or British, in addition to Pretty Lady ship which they claim was heading to Israel, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement.

The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and most populous areas, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians, drawing US and British retaliatory strikes since last month.

Sarea added that the group also attacked two US destroyers in the Red Sea as well as Israel's city of Eilat.

It was not immediately clear which if any of the targets were struck by the drones or missiles.


tribune.com.pk

Houthis say six ships attacked in past 72 hours | The Express Tribune

Houthis target ships, alleging US/British ties; claim Pretty Lady bound for Israel
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 

Houthis Warn Saudi Arabia of Retaliation If It Backs USA Attacks​

The Yemen-based Houthi militants renewed their threats against Saudi Arabia, warning it not to support US strikes against the group.

“We have sent a message to Saudi Arabia that it will be a target if it allows American fighter jets to use its territory or airspace in their aggression on Yemen,” Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, said in an interview with Al-Masirah TV.

US and UK forces have been striking Houthi military facilities since the start of this year to stem the group’s assault on ships in the Red Sea, a vital waterway for global commerce.

Saudi Arabia, which borders Yemen, hasn’t joined those air assaults or a US-led naval operation meant to provide commercial ships safe passage through the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The kingdom is trying to reach a peace agreement with the Houthis to end Yemen’s civil war, a conflict that’s raged for most of the past decade but with the sides in a fragile truce since 2022.

The Saudi government led a US-backed military campaign against the Houthis starting in 2015. But it now sees peace in Yemen as key to keeping the wider Gulf region stable and advancing its massive economic transformation plans.

Before the truce, the Houthis regularly struck Saudi territory. In 2019, they claimed an assault that briefly knocked out about half the kingdom’s oil production.

The Houthis, an Islamist organization backed by Iran, have been undeterred by the US and UK airstrikes and continue to attack warships and commercial ships with missiles and drones on a near-daily basis.

They recently said they would expand their campaign to target ships avoiding the Red Sea and sailing around southern Africa instead.

Al-Houthi signaled more tense relations between the Houthis and Saudis by saying the kingdom needed to take more serious steps toward a peace plan.

He stressed negotiations can’t progress until the kingdom agrees to resume the payment of some salaries, electricity and other services in Yemen.

Al-Houthi also confirmed the group had given China and Russia assurances their ships wouldn’t be targeted.

Speaking to Al-Masirah TV, a channel run by the group, he didn’t mention the Huang Pu, a Chinese-owned oil tanker that was struck by a missile in the Red Sea on Saturday. The ship issued a distress call but suffered minimal damage and didn’t need assistance, according to the US military.

The Houthis appear to have wrongly identified several ships with their previous assaults and it’s unclear if they did so again with the Huang Pu.

www.rigzone.com

Houthis Warn Saudi Arabia of Retaliation If It Backs USA Attacks

The Yemen-based Houthi militants renewed their threats against Saudi Arabia.
www.rigzone.com
 

US Navy works to keep sailors’ morale high amid challenging Red Sea Houthi campaign​


Aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower: When most readers come across news about the US military’s role in the Red Sea, the immediate image that comes to mind is fighter jets taking down Iran-backed threats, including anti-ship ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia.

However, little attention is paid to the sacrifices made by the American sailors who have been deployed without a port call for more than five months now.

The difficult task of being at sea for such a long period, without seeing land, can have a significant physical and mental toll, especially when the average age of the 5,000 sailors onboard the Eisenhower aircraft carrier is just above 20 years old.

The taxing role of sailors – some of whom go weeks without seeing sunlight depending on their task on the nuclear-powered ship – does not go unnoticed by senior officers and commanders.

The commander of the Eisenhower aircraft carrier has been creative in lightening the mood and boosting morale. Capt. Christopher “Chowdah” Hill said the senior officers and officials tried to institute a philosophy on the ship called “the Way of the Warrior Sailor.”

“The hypothesis is that if we can improve morale to some degree, we’re going to have better combat success. We’ll also have success in other areas, such as mental health or resilience or doing well on inspections,” Hill said in an interview with Al Arabiya English from the Red Sea.

Some might ask what morale is and how one achieves it. For Hill and his sailors, morale is spirit, pride, and motivation. “We know that people will have bad days, but what’s going to get them through that day to the next day? That’s what we look at,” he said.

Quartermaster-1 Keith Woodcock admitted it was a challenging deployment with many long days, but he was upbeat and said it had been a fulfilling mission.

To boost the morale of the entire ship, Hill and his peers ask leaders to love and value every single person aboard so that every sailor feels loved and valued. “That’s not something you normally hear in a military context, but I think it’s a universal truth,” Hill said.

Hill said everyone must have a mission and a purpose so that each sailor knows their role within that larger mission. So far, “The Way of the Warrior Sailor,” which has been put together in a small pamphlet provided to the sailors, has worked.

“It is certainly working out here in the Red Sea in terms of how we’re operating. We’re very successful in accomplishing the mission every single day,” Hill said.

Other initiatives have included a room for sailors to relax, watch a movie, or even play video games if and when there is a chance for limited time off.

However, it’s not all fun and happy for everyone or every day. The military has invested in mental health professionals on the ship, including a psychologist, several doctors, several chaplains and other enlisted behavioral health technicians.

Last Saturday, the Pentagon announced the death of a sailor who was supporting operations in the Red Sea. The sailor was assigned to the USS Mason, one of four guided-missile destroyers, and part of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. Sources familiar with the incident said the sailor died by suicide and left a note behind. The Pentagon said the sailor died on March 20, 2024, as a result of a non-combat-related incident that is being investigated.

Life on the destroyers, much smaller than an aircraft carrier, can prove even more challenging during such long and demanding deployments.

“Mental health problems are universal in the civilian world; we get that. It can be exacerbated by this sort of environment, whether it be the combat situation we’re in or the fact that we’ve been underway for more than five months,” Hill acknowledged.

Many sailors enlist in the Navy to be able to travel the world during their port calls. “It’s the quintessential Navy sailor experience,” Hill said.

With no port calls and an extended deployment, morale may be an issue for some. That’s where the resiliency safety net is used.

A US official said that Pentagon officials discussed the situation of the sailors deployed to the Red Sea during a meeting on Monday in Washington. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder declined to comment on potential moves or plans to replace the IKE with a different carrier strike group but said the US was always thinking about how to sustain its presence.

US officials estimate early summer as a realistic timeframe for the strike group to return home to Norfolk. Discussions will take place closer to that time about what kind of presence is needed, depending on the Houthi attacks and the war in Gaza. Whether or not there is a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could impact this decision if the Houthis follow through on their claim that the attacks will stop once a ceasefire is reached.

A US official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that fewer US military ships could present fewer targets for the Iran-backed Houthis. This will all be determined by President Biden and his policy goals.

One of Hill’s tools to lighten the mood onboard has been to take advantage of the Wi-Fi provided to sailors. Commonly referred to as “Chowdah” because of his New England accent, Hill has amassed more than 65,000 followers on X.

Every sailor has long been provided an email address, but not every sailor had access to it. “With Wi-Fi, it’s kind of opened up that aperture of connectedness with folks back home,” Hill said. “The one thing I found is that some of my most successful sailors communicated with their mom or dad every single day. So, I realize that when we’re trying to create morale and a sense of being loved and valued … parents do a better job of that than I do.”

He frequently posts photos of young sailors to allow their friends and families to see them. The sailors often have a chocolate chip cookie in hand, which has become part of Eisenhower’s identity.

Hill calls sailors up to what is known as “the bridge,” where the captain typically sits to observe operations, and writes a caption for their loved ones back home to see.

The idea first came about when a parent of one of the sailors wrote to Hill and said they would love to see a picture of their son. He agreed and posted a photo on social media with a positive comment about the sailor. “And it just opened up the floodgates … with lots of parents requesting to see their sons and daughters. And it went from there,” he said.

What started off as messaging between a parent and their son soon became a message to the world.

“Here’s an ordinary sailor doing extraordinary things every single day, and they’re very young,” Hill said.

Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, the commander of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, highlighted the availability of Wi-Fi. “It’s new for an old [man] like me, but some of that stuff matters to those young sailors, giving them the ability to just shoot a text once a day,” Miguez told Al Arabiya English.

Nevertheless, he has been forced to cut off the Wi-Fi service a few times as commander. “My utmost responsibility here [is to] protect the sailors and the equipment, but the sailors are first [priority],” Miguez said.

Woodcock, the QM-1, said he was excited to return to his family and friends eventually. “But home won’t go anywhere. We have a mission to get done,” he told Al Arabiya English.

 

US military destroys 4 Houthi drones targeting American warship, coalition vessel​


The U.S. military says it has shot down four drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that were targeting an American vessel and a Coalition warship in the Red Sea.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement Thursday that the attack was the second of its kind in the last two days.

"Between 6:00 and 10:56 p.m. (Sanaa time) on March 28, and for the second day in a row, United States Central Command successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen," it added. "These UAS were aimed at a Coalition vessel and a U.S. warship and were engaged in self-defense over the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported to U.S. or coalition ships."

"It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region," CENTCOM also said. "These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels."

The day before, CENTCOM said it "engaged and destroyed four long-range unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen" that were "aimed at a U.S. warship and engaged in self-defense over the Red Sea."

The actions by the U.S. military come a week after CENTCOM said it carried out strikes against three Houthi underground storage facilities in Yemen.

The militant group has been launching attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war last October, disrupting shipping in the region.

"Illegal Houthi attacks have killed three mariners, sunk a commercial vessel lawfully transiting the Red Sea, disrupted humanitarian aid bound for Yemen, harmed Middle East economies, and caused environmental damage," according to CENTCOM.

www.foxnews.com

US military destroys 4 Houthi drones targeting American warship, coalition vessel

The U.S. military says it has shot down four drones over the Red Sea that were launched by Yemen’s Houthis and were targeting American and Coalition ships.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
 
The Middle East peace has been destroyed. We can no longer say that Middle East peace is at stake.
 

Houthi attack kills 11 loyal to government near Taiz in southern Yemen: Official​


A surprise Houthi attack killed 11 fighters loyal to the Yemeni government in the country’s south early on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the southern forces said, in a rare flareup.

Mohammed al-Naqib from the main southern separatist group the Southern Transitional Council (STC) said their fighters were the target of the attack in Lahij province.

Eleven fighters were killed while repelling the Houthis, al-Naqib told AFP.

“The Houthis did not advance a single step,” he added.

A military official confirmed the toll, saying the government loyalists thwarted the Houthi attack, which lasted for five hours.
He said several Houthi fighters were also killed but did not give an overall figure.

Wednesday’s clashes took place near the provincial borders of Taiz, a frontline governorate which is split between Houthi and government control.

The attack comes despite a lull in fighting that has held in Yemen since the expiry of a six-month truce brokered in April 2022.
While hostilities have remained low, sporadic flareups have occasionally gripped parts of the country.

In March last year, at least 10 soldiers were killed in clashes with the Houthi in the oil-producing Marib province, a main flashpoint region.

The Houthis seized control of Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014.

Nine years of war have left hundreds of thousands dead through direct and indirect causes, and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

In December, the UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said warring parties had committed to a new ceasefire and agreed to engage in a UN-led peace process to end the war.

But the peace process has stalled in the wake of Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November, a campaign the group says is meant to signal solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

 

US says it destroyed anti-ship ballistic missile, two drones launched by Houthis​


The US military said on Wednesday that it destroyed one inbound anti-ship ballistic missile and two drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen toward the Red Sea.

US Central Command said no injuries or damage was reported.

“Additionally, during this timeframe CENTCOM forces destroyed a mobile surface-to-air missile system in Houthi controlled territory,” it said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In November, the Houthis initiated a series of drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea, a critical route for global trade, expressing support for Palestinians amid Israel’s conflict with Hamas militants in Gaza.

In response, both US and British military forces have conducted retaliatory strikes against the Houthis. Consequently, the Houthis have declared American and British interests as fair game for their attacks.

 
It all started with the Gaza and Israel war, and now this is getting into war between USA and Houthi.
 

Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted US, British, Israeli ships in past 72 hours​


Yemen’s Houthi militia said on Sunday it had launched rockets and drones at British, US and Israeli ships, the latest in a campaign of attacks on shipping in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war.

The Iran-backed group said it had targeted a British ship and a number of US frigates in the Red Sea, while in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean it had attacked two Israeli vessels heading to Israeli ports.

The operations took place during the last 72 hours, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.

He did not give further details of the attacks.

Earlier, British security firm Ambrey said it had received information indicating that a vessel was attacked on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden about 102 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla in Yemen.

“Vessels in the vicinity were advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity,” the firm said. It did not say who was responsible for the attack or give further details.

Separately, a missile landed near a vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday but there was no damage to the ship or injuries to crew in the incident, 59 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.

“The Master of the vessel reports a missile impacted the water in close proximity to the vessel’s port quarter,” UKMTO said in an advisory note. “No damage to the vessel reported and crew reported safe,” it added.

It did not say who fired the missile or give further details. It was not immediately clear if the attacks reported by the British agencies were the same as the latest incidents claimed by the Houthis.

Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. The United States and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

 

Houthi leader accuses Saudi Arabia of removing Quran verses from textbooks to appease Zionists​

The leader of the Ansarallah movement, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, has accused Saudi authorities of removing certain Quranic verses from the school curriculum in order to appease Zionists.

In a speech on Saturday, Al-Houthi said the Saudis have omitted Quranic verses from textbooks, in particular, verses that speak about crimes committed by Jews or their disobedience to God, claiming they are being censored, reports Iran’s Mehr news agency.

The Yemeni official also stated that the Saudi government has altered or omitted certain Prophetic traditions from educational curricula, describing it as a significant disservice to future generations. He suggested that this action aligns with Riyadh’s strategy to normalise relations with Israel, following in the footsteps of the UAE.

The latter, Al-Houthi added, has been portraying Zionists positively in educational materials to foster a generation that is amicable towards the occupation state.

News of the kingdom removing Quranic verses from textbooks, considered by critics to be “anti-Semitic”, isn’t new. In 2021, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), an Israel-based group that monitors school curricula, welcomed similar amendments. At the time, the group’s Chief Executive, Marcus Sheff, said the changes were “quite astonishing.”

The following year, the organisation said in a report that “anti-Semitism” has largely been eliminated from Saudi school textbooks.

www.middleeastmonitor.com

Houthi leader accuses Saudi Arabia of removing Quran verses from textbooks to appease Zionists

The leader of the Ansarallah movement, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, has accused Saudi authorities of removing certain Quranic verses from the school curriculum in order to appease Zionists. In a speech...
www.middleeastmonitor.com www.middleeastmonitor.com
 

US says destroyed Houthi drones after missile launch off Yemen​


The United States military said Friday that coalition forces “engaged and destroyed” two drones in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen after the Iran-backed group launched a ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden.

The anti-ship missile launched on Thursday did not lead to any injuries or damage, US Central Command (CENTCOM), said in a statement on X.

Hours later, the US military “successfully engaged and destroyed one unmanned surface vessel (USV) and one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” CENTCOM said.

Thursday marked the second consecutive day of attacks by the Houthis following a lull in strikes in recent weeks.

The Houthis have launched dozens of missile and drone strikes targeting shipping since November, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Thursday’s missile attack targeted the Liberia-flagged cargo ship MSC DARWIN VI in the Gulf of Aden, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, which is run by a Western-led naval coalition.

“The vessel was not hit,” the organization said Friday.

The Houthis claimed the strike, alleging that the ship was Israeli-owned.

“The operation has achieved its objectives successfully,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on X on Thursday, without providing evidence.

Saree also said the Houthis “fired a number of ballistic and winged missiles” toward Israel.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, are part of an “axis of resistance” of Iran allies and proxies targeting Israel in protest at its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, the Houthis attempted an attack on MV Yorktown, a US-flagged shipping vessel, CENTCOM said.

The Houthi attacks have drawn reprisal strikes from the United States and Britain since January as well as the deployment of Western naval forces to counter strikes on ships plying the busy commercial routes.

 
Yemen’s Houthis damage oil tanker, shoot down US drone

Yemen’s Houthis have damaged an oil tanker and downed another MQ-9 Reaper drone of the United States as they promise more attacks in opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza.

The Iran-aligned group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in his latest televised video address early on Saturday that “British oil ship Andromeda Star” was targeted in the Red Sea with naval missiles and was directly hit.

The US military confirmed that the group fired three antiship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea at multiple targets and damaged MV Andromeda Star. The vessel was recently sold to a company registered in the Seychelles, Reuters reported.

“MV Andromeda Star reports minor damage, but is continuing its voyage,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X, adding there were no injuries or damage reported by the maritime military coalition led by the US that is deployed in the area to counter attacks from Yemen.

The Houthi military spokesman also said its air defence forces in Yemen also shot down an MQ-9 Reaper attack drone of the US military with a missile in the airspace of the Saada governorate “while it was carrying out hostile missions”.

The US military did not comment on the drone, but US broadcaster CBS News confirmed that an MQ-9, which costs about $30m, “crashed” inside Yemen early on Friday and said an investigation is under way.

This is the third US attack drone shot down by the Houthis since the start of the war on Gaza, with the first brought down in November, followed by another in February.

The Yemeni group made no comments about further attacks on vessels in its nearby waterways, but the US military said the anti-ship missiles fired by the Houthis also targeted MV MAISHA, an Antigua/Barbados-flagged, Liberia-operated vessel. It reported no damage.



www.aljazeera.com

Yemen’s Houthis damage oil tanker, shoot down US drone

MV Andromeda Star suffers damage and MQ-9 Reaper drone shot down in latest escalation by the Houthis.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 

Italian navy shoots down Houthi drone in the Red Sea​

An Italian navy ship shot down a drone fired by Yemen’s Houthi group that was targeting a European cargo, the Italian defence ministry said.

The drone was intercepted “in the late morning” near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, the ministry said. It was taken down 5km (3.1 miles) from the cargo ship.

The cargo was targeted by other drones and missiles, with one missile exploding in water near it, causing only superficial damage, the ministry said.

The Italian “Fasan” frigate and the cargo it was escorting are proceeding southwards on their planned route to exit from the Red Sea, the statement added.

Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the area, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s war on Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera
 

Yemen’s Houthis say to target ships heading to Israeli ports in any reachable areas​


Yemen’s Houthis will target ships heading to Israeli ports in any reachable area, the military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Friday.

“We will target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea in any area we are able to reach,” he said.

 

Houthis hit Panamanian-flagged tanker with missile off Yemen, CENTCOM says​

CAIRO, May 18 (Reuters) - Iran-backed Houthi militants on Saturday hit a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker off Yemen's Red Sea coast with an anti-ship missile but the crew was able to restore power and maintain course, the U.S. military said.

There were no casualties reported by the ship, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, opens new tab in a statement posted on the X social media platform.

The strike was the latest in months of attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by the Houthis, who seized control of most of Yemen's major population centers in a civil war, in opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.

The Houthis launched a single anti-ship missile at the M/T Wind, a Panamanian-flagged and Greek-owned oil tanker, at around 1 a.m. local time, causing flooding that knocked out its propulsion and steering, CENTCOM said.

A vessel of a U.S.-led maritime coalition immediately responded, but the crew was able to restore power and steering, no assistance was required and the ship "resumed its course under its own power," it said.

"This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," CENTCOM said.

British security firm Ambrey said the attack occurred about 10 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Red Sea port city of Mokha, and that the missile caused a fire in the steering gear compartment.

The vessel had loaded oil at the Sheskharis terminal in Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and was bound for China, Ambrey said in an advisory note.

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said earlier on Saturday that a vessel in the Red Sea was struck by an unknown object and sustained slight damage.

"The vessel and crew are safe and continuing to its next port of call," UKMTO said in an advisory note on the incident 98 nautical miles south of Yemen's Hodeidah port.

Months of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa.

The United States and Britain have carried out strikes against Houthi targets in response.

Source: Reuters
 
Houthis report new US-UK airstrikes in Yemen amid Red Sea tension

US and British warplanes launched news airstrikes Thursday against Houthi sites in the coastal province of Al Hudaydah in Yemen, according to the group.

Houthi-run Al-Masirah television reported that two strikes targeted the Al Hudaydah International Airport.

No reports were available about casualties or damage.

There was no comment from the US or the UK.

Earlier Thursday, the group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said in a recorded message that his forces targeted 119 American, Israeli and British ships since an escalation began in November.

The group said Wednesday that six US-UK airstrikes targeted Al Hudaydah Airport without reporting casualties or damages.

Al Hudaydah is a strategic province in Yemen, with three vital ports and a long coastal strip.



www.aa.com.tr

Houthis report new US-UK airstrikes in Yemen amid Red Sea tension

2 strikes target Al Hudaydah International Airport, says Yemeni group - Anadolu Ajansı
www.aa.com.tr www.aa.com.tr
 
Houthis unilaterally free more than 100 detainees

The Houthi militia released 112 Yemeni government prisoners on Sunday, a move supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross but not welcomed by their opponents.

At a press conference in Sanaa attended by the released prisoners, Abdulkader Al-Murtada, head of the Houthi National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs, said that the release was in response to an order from their leader, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, to release Yemeni government forces who were captured on the battlefields and are sick, disabled, wounded or elderly.

He urged the Yemeni government to match the initiative by releasing their prisoners and engaging in prisoner-exchange negotiations, noting that 920 inmates had previously been freed unilaterally.


 
Yemen's Houthis claim to attack six ships in three seas

Yemen's Houthis launched attacks on six ships in three different seas, the Iran-backed group said on Wednesday, including the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Laax that was damaged after reporting a missile strike off the Yemeni coast.

Security and shipping sources confirmed the Houthis hit the Laax in a barrage of attacks on Tuesday. In a televised speech, the group also said it targeted the Morea and Sealady in the Red Sea, the Alba and Maersk Hartford in the Arabian Sea and the Minerva Antonia in the Mediterranean.

The U.S.-flagged Maersk Hartford container ship was not the subject of a drone or missile attack, said Ed Hanley, chief operating officer of U.S.-based Maersk Line, which owns the vessel.

"I can't speak to the other five ships, but the Hartford is fine," Hanley said in a telephone interview. "Nothing happened."


Reuters
 

US and UK carry out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for first time in months​


The US and UK carried out a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday for the first time in more than three months, according to US Central Command.

In addition, the US unilaterally destroyed eight aerial attack drones over Yemen and the Red Sea.

The coalition strikes targeted 13 Houthi targets in parts of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed terror group. They marked the fifth round of coalition strikes against the Houthis, who have repeatedly attacked US Navy ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The two waterways, separated by the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, are critical to international shipping routes.

The last round of strikes occurred on February 24, as the US and UK targeted Houthi weapons and radar sites.

The US has tried to disrupt the Houthi’s ability to target commercial vessels and US warships by going after their primary weapons, including anti-ship cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones. The US has also destroyed maritime drones and underwater drones. The resumption of strikes follows an uptick in Houthi attacks over the last week.

This week, the US destroyed Houthi missile launchers in Yemen and intercepted aerial attack drones.

On Tuesday, three Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles struck a Greek-owned and operated merchant ship in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command. There were no injuries, according to Central Command, and the M/V Lax was able to continue its voyage.

The US spearheaded Operation Prosperity Guardian in December to protect international shipping, banding together with other nations to intercept Houthi attacks. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and a number of destroyers have patrolled the waters of the region to intercept Houthi launches.

The USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer that recently returned from the Middle East, had 51 engagements in six months, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week was “the most direct Navy engagement with a foe since World War II.”

 
FearlessRoar said:

US and UK carry out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for first time in months​


The US and UK carried out a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday for the first time in more than three months, according to US Central Command.

In addition, the US unilaterally destroyed eight aerial attack drones over Yemen and the Red Sea.

The coalition strikes targeted 13 Houthi targets in parts of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed terror group. They marked the fifth round of coalition strikes against the Houthis, who have repeatedly attacked US Navy ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The two waterways, separated by the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, are critical to international shipping routes.

The last round of strikes occurred on February 24, as the US and UK targeted Houthi weapons and radar sites.

The US has tried to disrupt the Houthi’s ability to target commercial vessels and US warships by going after their primary weapons, including anti-ship cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones. The US has also destroyed maritime drones and underwater drones. The resumption of strikes follows an uptick in Houthi attacks over the last week.

This week, the US destroyed Houthi missile launchers in Yemen and intercepted aerial attack drones.

On Tuesday, three Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles struck a Greek-owned and operated merchant ship in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command. There were no injuries, according to Central Command, and the M/V Lax was able to continue its voyage.

The US spearheaded Operation Prosperity Guardian in December to protect international shipping, banding together with other nations to intercept Houthi attacks. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and a number of destroyers have patrolled the waters of the region to intercept Houthi launches.

The USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer that recently returned from the Middle East, had 51 engagements in six months, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week was “the most direct Navy engagement with a foe since World War II.”

Click to expand...

Yemen’s Houthis say they launched missile attack on US aircraft carrier Eisenhower​


Yemen’s Houthis launched a missile attack on the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea in response to US-UK strikes on the Yemeni provinces of Sanaa, Hodeidah and Taiz, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement on Friday.

 
It's time for the UK and USA to take a step back and acknowledge their part in fueling the conflict. Instead of just relying on military might, they need to take a hard look at how their actions have contributed to the crisis and work towards addressing the root causes.
 

Yemen’s Houthis say they launched two operations against ships at Israel’s Haifa port​


Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia said on Thursday it launched two joint military operations with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance against ships at Israel’s Haifa port.

“The first targeted two ships carrying military equipment in the port of Haifa, while the second targeted a ship that violated the decision to ban entry to the port...,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.

 
US and UK air strikes hit Yemen, Houthi-run TV reports

The United States and United Kingdom have carried out six air strikes against targets in Yemen, a Houthi-run television station reports, as the Yemeni group targets shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

Four attacks were made on the airport of Hodeidah, a main port city on the Red Sea, and the seaport of Salif north of it, Al Masirah TV said. Two air raids also hit the Al-Thawra region north of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, according to the news outlet.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, and the US and UK militaries have not confirmed the attacks.

On Friday, the Houthis said in a retaliatory statement that their naval UAVs, and the missile forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces have carried out two joint operations in the Red Sea against two ships that belong to companies that violated the decision to ban entry to the ports of occupied Palestine, namely the ship (Elbella) and the ship (AAL GENOA).

The Yemeni group added that they will continue their military operations until the aggression in Gaza stops.

Friday’s strikes follow US and UK attacks on Hodeidah province that the Houthis said killed 16 people last week.

The Houthis, who control Sanaa and present themselves as the official Yemeni armed forces, have been attacking shipping lanes in the Red Sea and firing missiles and drones at Israeli targets for months in a show of support for Palestinians in Gaza.

The Yemeni group’s operations have angered the US and other Western nations. The US and its allies have been bombing Houthi targets in Yemen since January, but the military campaign has not deterred Houthi attacks.

The US military regularly announces interceptions of Houthi attacks. On Thursday, it said it destroyed eight Houthi drones launched over the Red Sea.



AL Jazeera
 
Ship severely flooded after Houthi attack in Red Sea

The US military says a Greek-owned ship in the Red Sea has been hit by an unmanned surface vessel launched by the Houthis in Yemen, causing severe flooding and damage to the engine room.

The Royal Navy’s UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office said it received reports of a ship being struck on the stern about 66 nautical miles southwest of the rebel-held port of Hodeida in Yemen on Wednesday.

The vessel was taking on water, and not under the command of the crew, UKMTO stated. No casualties were reported.

The Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted a Liberian-flagged vessel named Tutor using a sea drone.

The Houthis have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, causing significant disruption to world trade.

In a statement, a Houthi military spokesman said the ship was attacked "using an unmanned surface boat, number of drones, and ballistic missiles", adding that the ship was "seriously damaged, vulnerable to sinking".

The ship was targeted "because the company that owns the ship has violated the decision to ban entry into the ports of occupied Palestine", the statement said.

US Central Command (CentCom) reported that "one Iranian-backed Houthi unmanned surface vessel (USV)" struck the Tutor, which it said was most recently docked in Russia.

The impact "caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room", it posted on X.

CentCom added that its forces had "successfully destroyed" three anti-ship cruise missile launchers in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen in the past 24 hours, as well as one drone launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen over the Red Sea.

"This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," it said.

The armed Houthi group sees itself as part of an Iranian-led "axis of resistance" against Israel, the US and the wider West, and has declared its support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Since November, the rebel group has been carrying out attacks on ships they say are linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, saying their actions are in support of the Palestinians.

The US and the UK have carried out a series of attacks on Houthi targets inside Yemen in response, leading the Houthis to retaliate against ships it believes are linked to those countries.

The rebels' attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea prompted many shipping companies to stop using the waterway, through which about 12% of global seaborne trade passes.

Separately, the UN has said Houthis in Yemen have detained two more of its employees, bringing the total number of personnel seized by the group in the past week to 13.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said one of its staff members was among those detained. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X he was “deeply worried” about the situation.


BBC
 
Houthi missile attack severely injures sailor, US says

A sailor was severely injured after a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden was struck by two cruise missiles fired by the Houthis in Yemen, the US military said.

The injured sailor was airlifted to another ship for medical treatment, the US Central Command (CentCom) reported.

It added that crew members were fighting a fire on board the MV Verbena - a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated ship.

CentCom later said it had destroyed two Houthi patrol boats, one unmanned surface vessel and one drone over the Red Sea in the last 24 hours.

"It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region," CentCom said in a statement.

The Houthis earlier said they had carried out attacks on three ships within the past 24 hours, including on the MV Verbena, "in retaliation to the crimes committed against our people in the Gaza Strip, and in response to the American-British aggression against our country".

This latest attack comes a day after the Iranian-backed group targeted a Greek-owned ship in the Red Sea, causing severe flooding on board.

The armed Houthi group sees itself as part of an Iranian-led "axis of resistance" against Israel, the US and the wider West.

Since November, the rebel group has been carrying out attacks on ships they say are linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, saying their actions are in support of the Palestinians in Gaza.

The US and the UK have carried out a series of attacks on Houthi targets inside Yemen in response, leading the Houthis to retaliate against ships it believes are linked to those countries.

"The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza," CentCom said.

The rebels' attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea prompted many shipping companies to stop using the waterway, through which about 12% of global seaborne trade passes.

On Wednesday, the Houthis targeted a Liberian-flagged vessel named Tutor using a sea drone in the Red Sea. No casualties were reported.

BBC
 
US Navy faces its most intense combat since World War II against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels

The U.S. Navy prepared for decades to potentially fight the Soviet Union, then later Russia and China, on the world’s waterways. But instead of a global power, the Navy finds itself locked in combat with a shadowy, Iran-backed rebel group based in Yemen.

The U.S.-led campaign against the Houthi rebels, overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, has turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy has faced since World War II, its leaders and experts told The Associated Press.

The combat pits the Navy’s mission to keep international waterways open against a group whose former arsenal of assault rifles and pickup trucks has grown into a seemingly inexhaustible supply of drones, missiles and other weaponry. Near-daily attacks by the Houthis since November have seen more than 50 vessels clearly targeted, while shipping volume has dropped in the vital Red Sea corridor that leads to the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean.

The Houthis say the attacks are aimed at stopping the war in Gaza and supporting the Palestinians, though it comes as they try to strengthen their position in Yemen. All signs suggest the warfare will intensify — putting U.S. sailors, their allies and commercial vessels at more risk.



apnews.com

US Navy faces its most intense combat since World War II against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels

The U.S.-led campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels has turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy has faced since World War II.
apnews.com apnews.com
 

Undeterred Houthi attacks squeeze international trade​

Drone and missile barrages launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen are holding hostage a vital commercial waterway, delaying humanitarian aid and imposing millions of dollars of extra costs.

Why it matters: U.S. and allied firepower has failed to stem the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden attacks, which are bolstered by an Iranian regime eager to arm its proxies.

By the numbers: The interests of more than 65 countries have been affected, and at least 29 major shipping and energy companies have rerouted away from the region, according to a new U.S. intelligence report.
  • Container shipping through the Red Sea declined by roughly 90% as of mid-February. The passage typically accounts for 10-15% of international maritime trade.
  • Insurance premiums for transits rose to 1% of a ship's total value in the same timeframe.
  • Alternate routes around Africa tack on 11,000 nautical miles, up to two weeks of travel time and $1 million in fuel.
  • More than a dozen commercial ships were struck between November and March. A handful of hijackings were also attempted.
Catch up quick: Houthi harassment of civilian and military vessels began late last year.
  • The militant group initially said its attacks were in retaliation to Israel's war in Gaza. But many of its targets have no affiliation with the country.
  • The Rubymar, a British-owned cargo ship, was sunk in March. It carried 21,000 metric tons of fertilizer that officials feared would spark an ecological disaster.
  • The U.S. Navy has so far expended $1 billion in munitions as it contends with anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles and exploding drones in the area.
Bottom line: "While many attacks have missed or been intercepted, Houthi stockpiles appear nowhere near exhausted, even as sporadic U.S. and U.K. strikes against them continue," said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.
  • "This is as much a political problem as it is military."
 

Houthis believed to have sunk second ship in the Red Sea, UKMTO says​

CAIRO/LOS ANGELES, June 18 (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi militants are believed to have sunk a second ship in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.

The Houthis and other sources previously identified the imperilled ship as the Greek-owned Tutor. It was struck by missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat on June 12 and had been taking on water.

"Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the (Tutor's) last reported location," UKMTO said in a security update.

The Tutor's manager could not be immediately reached for comment.

One crew member, believed to be in Tutor's engine room at the time of the attacks, remains missing.

The sinking of the Tutor would mark the second sinking of a commercial vessel targeted by the Houthis since November, in what they say are attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The UK-owned Rubymar sank in the Red Sea on March 2, about two weeks after it was damaged by a Houthi attack.

The UKMTO's report of the suspected Tutor sinking comes a week after the Houthis seriously damaged the Tutor, a Liberia-flagged coal carrier, and the Palau-flagged Verbena, which was loaded with wood construction material.

Sailors from the Verbena were evacuated after they were unable to contain a fire sparked by the attacks. The Verbena is now drifting in the Gulf of Aden and vulnerable to sinking or further assaults.

Since November, the Houthis have also seized another vessel and killed three sailors in separate attacks.

The Iran-back militants' drone and missile assaults have forced shipping firms to divert vessels away from the Suez Canal trade shortcut to the longer route around Africa, disrupting global trade by delaying deliveries and sending costs higher.

U.S. and British forces on Monday conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen's Hodeidah International Airport and Kamaran Island near the port of Salif off the Red Sea in what appeared to be retaliation for last week's ship assaults.

Source: Reuters
 
American-British coalition carries out airstrikes on Taif, south of Al-Hudaydah province in western Yemen.

Quds News Network
 
Urgent action must be taken in the Red Sea to stop attacks on merchant shipping by Yemen's Houthis, leading industry groups said on Wednesday, after the sinking of a second ship.

Iran-aligned Houthi militants first launched drone and missile strikes on the important trade route in November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In more than 70 attacks, they have also seized one vessel and its crew and killed at least three seafarers.

"It is deplorable that innocent seafarers are being attacked while simply performing their jobs, vital jobs which keep the world warm, fed, and clothed," the world's top shipping associations said in a joint statement.

"These attacks must stop now. We call for states with influence in the region to safeguard our innocent seafarers and for the swift de-escalation of the situation in the Red Sea."

The Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier attacked by Yemen's Houthi militants in the Red Sea last week has sunk, salvagers confirmed on Wednesday.


Reuters
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1803778655555891483

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Salvage firm confirms sinking of Greek-owned Tutor struck by Yemen’s Houthis​


The Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier attacked by Yemen’s Houthi militants in the Red Sea last week has sunk, salvagers confirmed on Wednesday.

The Tutor was struck with missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat on June 12 and had been taking on water, according to sources including maritime security companies and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The UKMTO said on Tuesday that the vessel was believed to have become the second ship sunk by the Iran-aligned Houthis in the region since November.

The Houthis say their attacks on international shipping accessing the Suez Canal via the Red Sea are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Two salvage vessels were on their way to recover the Tutor when they were informed that the ship was believed to have sunk, Andreas Tsavliris, one of Tsavliris’ Salvage owners, told Reuters.

Naval forces had informed vessels sailing to the area on Tuesday afternoon that the Liberia-flagged Tutor had sunk and that there was debris and evidence of oil at the site.

“Therefore we abandoned the mission,” Tsavliris said.

The ship’s Athens-based manager Evalend Shipping did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

The ship was carrying 22 crew members from the Philippines who were evacuated on June 14 by military authorities and repatriated.

One crew member, believed to have been working in the Tutor’s engine room at the time of the attacks near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, remains missing, the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers has reported.

The UK-owned Rubymar was the first ship sunk by the Houthis.

It sank on March 2, about two weeks after being struck by missiles.

Last week the Houthis also seriously damaged the Palau-flagged Verbena, which was loaded with wood construction materials.

Sailors from the Verbena abandoned ship when they were unable to contain a fire sparked by the attacks. The vessel is now drifting in the Gulf of Aden and vulnerable to sinking or further assaults.

The Houthi drone and missile assaults have forced shipping firms to divert vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to the longer route around the southern tip of Africa, delaying deliveries and raising freight costs.

 
The shipping industry is sounding the alarm as another vessel sinks in the Red Sea

Leading shipping groups have urged governments “with influence” to put a stop to Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea after a second freighter sank this week.

At least three seafarers have been killed in the attacks so far. The latest sinking is likely to have led to another death, according to a statement Wednesday from more than a dozen shipping associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping and the World Shipping Council.

Their call for action highlights the growing human toll from the disruption to one of the world’s trade arteries which has been virtually closed to container ships since late last year. The longer diversion around the southern tip of Africa has sent shipping costs soaring and is causing congestion at ports in Asia and Europe, threatening to scramble global supply chains.


 
Yemen’s Houthis claim joint raid on Israeli ships with Iraqi militia

Yemen’s Houthis have claimed carrying out a joint military operation with an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, to target four vessels in Israel’s Haifa port.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement on Sunday that the group fired drones at two cement tankers and two cargo ships at the port a day prior over noncompliance with a ban on entering “ports of occupied Palestine”.

Saree added that the group had also targeted a Shorthorn Express ship in the Mediterranean Sea using drones, and both operations “successfully achieved their goals”.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported an explosion occurred in Haifa at dawn after an air defence missile was launched towards the sea without activating the sirens. Israel’s military did not comment on the Houthi claim, but stated in a post on X that it had shot down a drone approaching the country overnight from the east.

In yet another incident, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said that a merchant ship was damaged by a drone attack in the Red Sea near Yemen early on Sunday morning, though no injuries were reported.

The attack occurred about 65 nautical miles (120km) west of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, said the agency, which is run by the British navy.

“The Master of a merchant vessel reports being hit by uncrewed aerial system (UAS), resulting in damage to the vessel. All crew members are reported safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” said a bulletin from the agency.

“Authorities are investigating,” it added, offering no attribution for the attack.


www.aljazeera.com

Yemen’s Houthis claim joint raid on Israeli ships with Iraqi militia

The Houthis say they targeted vessels in Israel’s Haifa port together with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
www.aljazeera.com www.aljazeera.com
 
Yemen’s Houthis claim targeting ‘MSC Sarah V’ vessel in Arabian Sea

Yemen’s Houthis said on Tuesday that they used a new ballistic missile to hit the MSC Sarah V vessel in the Arabian Sea, claiming responsibility for an attack reported a day earlier.

The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center on Monday said the Liberian-flagged vessel was targeted by a missile in the Arabian Sea, but was not hit. It said it was likely attacked due to perceived Israeli association.

Yahya Sarea, the Yemeni group’s spokesperson, claimed a “accurate and direct” hit on the ship, describing the vessel as “Israeli.”

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations has said the crew were reported safe and that the vessel, which was sailing 246 nautical miles off Yemen’s Nishtun when it was targeted, was heading to its next port of call.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group has been launching drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes since November, saying they are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

In dozens of attacks, the Houthis have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least three seafarers.

SOURCE: https://english.alarabiya.net/News/...m-targeting-msc-sarah-v-vessel-in-arabian-sea
 
5 missiles land near ship in the Red Sea in likely the latest attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels

A ship traveling through the Red Sea came under repeated missile fire Friday in a likely attack launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, authorities said, the latest targeting the crucial maritime route.

Five missiles landed near the vessel as it traveled off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

The missiles landed near the vessel, but caused no damage, the UKTMO added.

The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack. However, it can take them hours or even days before they acknowledge an assault.

The rebels have targeted more than 60 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They seized one vessel and sank two since November. A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.

The Houthis maintain that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war — including some bound for Iran.

The U.S. military’s Central Command also said it destroyed a Houthi radar site. Another attack Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden was suspected to have been carried out by the Houthis, though they have yet to claim it. A Houthi attack also happened Thursday in the Red Sea.


Dunya News
 

Yemen's Houthis say they targeted four ships 'linked to the US, UK and Israel'​

CAIRO, July 1 (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthis said on Monday that they conducted four military operations targeting four ships in the Red, Arabian and Mediterranean Seas as well as the Indian Ocean "linked to the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel."

In the first operation, "Israeli ship MSC Unific was targeted in the Arabian Sea," Yahya Sarea, the Yemeni group's spokesperson said.

"A U.S. oil tanker Delonix" was also targeted in a second operation that was carried out in the Red Sea "for the second time this week," he added.

The third operation targeted "U.K. landing ship Anvil Point in the Indian Ocean" and a fourth operation in the Mediterranean Sea targeted a ship that Sarea identified as the "Lucky Sailor".

Reuters was not immediately able to verify the claims.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group has been launching drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes since November, saying they are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Source: Reuters
 

Yemen's Houthis claim attack on vital target in Israel's Haifa​

CAIRO, July 2 (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday that they, along with the Islamic resistance in Iraq, have conducted a joint military operation, attacking a vital target in Israel's Haifa.

The military operation has been carried out with "a number of winged missiles," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement, without identifying the target that was attacked.

The Houthi group has been launching drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes since November, in what it says is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Iran-aligned Houthis first launched drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes in November. In dozens of attacks, they have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least three seafarers.

Source: Reuters
 
Yemen's Houthis say they attacked Maersk Sentosa ship in Arabian Sea

Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday they targeted the Maersk Sentosa ship in the Arabian sea with several ballistic and wing missiles.

"The American ship Maersk Sentosa was targeted in the Arabian Sea by naval forces and missile force in a joint operation," Yahya Sarea, the Yemeni group's military spokesperson, said in a televised speech.

Earlier on Tuesday, shipping giant Maersk said one of its vessels, the Maersk Sentosa, reported being targeted by a flying object in the north of the Gulf of Aden.

Maersk (MAERSKb.CO), opens new tab told Reuters that no injuries to the crew or damage to the ship or cargo were reported.

A spokesperson for the Copenhagen-based company said the ship was one of its U.S.-flagged vessels sailing for the subsidiary Maersk Line, Limited.

The captain of an unnamed merchant ship reported an explosion close to the vessel some 180 nautical miles (333 km) east of Yemen's Nishtun, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in an advisory note on Tuesday.

UKMTO added that the vessel and its crew are safe.

Sarea also said the group targeted the Marathopolis ship in the Arabian Sea and the MSC Patnaree ship in the Gulf of Aden with a number of drones.

Houthi militants in Yemen have launched drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden since November. They say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians over the war in Gaza.

REUTERS
 
Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted 166 ships since November

Yemen’s Houthi group said Thursday that it has targeted 166 ships associated with Israel, the US and the UK since last November.

In a televised speech, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said his group carried out 10 drone and missile attacks this week.

“Our naval operations in support of Palestinians in Gaza have continued unabated,” he added.

The Houthi leader said the movement of ships linked to the US and Britain has significantly diminished in recent months.

“Israel-linked navigation has almost disappeared,” he added.

There was no comment from the US, Britain, or Israel on the Houthi statement.

The Houthis have been targeting ships that are Israeli-owned, flagged, operated or headed to Israeli ports in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under a devastating Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7 last year.

With the US and UK launching retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi sites inside Yemen, the Houthis declared that they consider all American and British ships military targets.

SOURCE: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-eas...ey-targeted-166-ships-since-november/3272700#
 
Yemen's Houthi rebels use missiles, drones to attack 2 more ships in Red Sea

Two attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted ships in the Red Sea on Monday as a new U.S. aircraft carrier approached the region to provide security for the key international trade route that has been under assault since the Israel-Hamas war erupted nine months ago.

Three small Houthi vessels, two of which were crewed and another uncrewed, attacked the Panama-flagged and Israeli-owned MT Bently I off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, according to British and American authorities.

The "reported unmanned small craft collided with the vessel twice and the 2 manned small craft fired at the vessel," the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported. "The vessel conducted self-protection measures, after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack."

The captain later reported three separate waves of missile attacks that exploded in close proximity to the vessel.

Later on Monday, in a separate incident off the same coast, the MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged and Marshall Islands-owned oil tanker, was attacked by an uncrewed Houthi aerial vehicle, which "impacted on the port side causing some damage and light smoke," the UKMTO said.

Both ships and all crew were reported safe, the UKMTO said in a warning to mariners.



www.foxnews.com

Yemen's Houthi rebels use missiles, drones to attack 2 more ships in Red Sea

Three Houthi vessels, one of which was uncrewed, attacked the Panama-flagged, Israeli-owned MT Bently I as well as the MT Chios Lion off the coast of Yemen.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
 

Yemeni Houthi rebels attack oil tanker​


Yemeni Houthi rebels have released a video of an attack they claim to have carried out on an oil tanker in the Red Sea.

The footage shows a small vessel approach, then collide with the left side of the ship, resulting in a large explosion.

BBC Verify has confirmed that the tanker seen in the video is the CHIOS Lion by comparing the video to known images of the vessel.

Ship-tracking data shows that the CHIOS Lion set off from the Russian port of Tuapse on 2 July and entered the Red Sea on 11 July.

There is no tracking data available of its journey through the Red Sea, but the timing and location of the strike on 15 July, as reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), is consistent with the speed and direction in which the tanker was travelling.


BBC
 

Suez Canal’s income falls amid Yemen Houthi attacks​


Egypt’s Suez Canal on Thursday reported a 23.4 percent drop in revenues attributed to disruptions in Red Sea shipping over the past year, marked by attacks from Yemen’s Houthi militia on Israeli-linked vessels.

The canal is a crucial source of foreign currency for Egypt, which is currently grappling with a severe financial crisis.

Since November, the Houthis have launched numerous attacks on ships in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.

The Iran-backed group says the attacks are aimed at vessels with links to Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

The attacks have forced many major shipping firms to suspend passage through the Red Sea, which usually carries about 10 percent of global trade, and divert their vessels thousands of miles around Africa.

The canal recorded “during the financial year 2023/24 the passage of 20,148 ships, generating revenues of $7.2 billion, compared with 25,911 ships during the financial year 2022/23, with revenues of $9.4 billion,” the Suez Canal Authority said in a statement.

The financial year in Egypt runs from the beginning of July to the end of June of the following year.

Oussama Rabie, the president of the public body that administers the canal, attributed the decline to “the severe impact of the Red Sea crisis on traffic in the canal, because security problems encourage many ship owners and operators to take alternative routes.”

The use of these alternative routes has “resulted in an increase in travel times and costs,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

 
Yemen’s Houthis vows to escalate operations to Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea ‘in support of Gaza’

The Yemeni Houthi group vowed Thursday to escalate naval operations “in support of the Gaza Strip” to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

“Given the impact of our operations in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and Gulf of Aden, we aim to expand operations in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea,” group leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in a recorded message that was aired by the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel. “The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are now under control, preventing the (Israeli) enemy and targeting the American and British foes. Our operations have become very effective and powerful.”

He emphasized the importance of “revealing significant facts to the people, acknowledged by the enemies through statistics and figures, highlighting the impact of Yemeni (Houthi) military operations on the economies of the Israeli, American, and British enemies.”

The Houthis have been targeting Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter Houthi attacks earlier this year.


www.aa.com.tr

Yemen’s Houthis vows to escalate operations to Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea ‘in support of Gaza’

Group leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi announces plans to expand operations targeting Israeli, American, British interests - Anadolu Ajansı
www.aa.com.tr www.aa.com.tr
 
One dead after apparent drone attack on Tel Aviv

The Israeli military says it is investigating an apparent drone attack that hit central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday.

In a statement, it said an initial inquiry indicated the explosion had been caused by the falling of an "aerial target", which was not intercepted because of human error.

Israeli emergency services say the explosion left one person dead and several lightly injured.

Yemen’s Houthi militants have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group - which is backed by Iran - announced earlier on social media that they would reveal details about a military operation that had targeted Tel Aviv.

The Israeli military added it was increasing air patrols, while the city's mayor said they were on high alert, local media reported.

"The whole building shook," Alon, a local resident, told Haaretz.

"My neighbours' windows shattered, so I was sure something had hit the building. It was only when I went outside that I realised that several buildings had been damaged."

The incident also came after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior commander of the Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah and Israel have traded fire across the border since Hezbollah launched rockets a day after Israel began its military offensive on Gaza in response to Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on 7 October.

Both Hezbollah and the Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

BBC
 
FearlessRoar said:

Explosion shocks Yemen's Al Hudaydah days after Houthi drone attack​


https://twitter.com/x/status/1814691511256092682
Click to expand...

Israeli strikes launched against Houthi-held Yemeni city - day after Tel Aviv attack​


A series of Israeli strikes have been launched against the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah in Yemen.

The attack on oil refinery facilities resulted in fatalities in the western coastal city, according to the Houthis' own TV station Al Masirah.

Explosions were reportedly heard throughout the city during the bombardment, citizens told the Reuters news agency.

The strikes come a day after the Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone strike near the US embassy in central Tel Aviv, which left one person dead and at least 10 injured.

The Israeli military said in a statement: "A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of the Al Hudaydah [Hodeidah] Port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months."

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on social media platform X that "blatant Israeli aggression" targeted fuel storage facilities and the province's power station.

He said the attacks will only make the people of Yemen and its armed forces more determined to support Gaza.

A series of Houthi-launched attacks have also targeted Western shipping using the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Earlier on Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received reports of two attacks on a vessel 64 nautical miles (118.5 km) northwest of Yemen's Mokha, causing slight damage.

The captain of the vessel reported attacks by an aerial drone, which exploded close to the vessel and by a seaborne drone, which also exploded nearby.

A maritime security source told Reuters that the ship, which has been identified as a Liberia-flagged container ship, was attacked by a skiff (small rowing boat) and drones.

Another attack occurred 83 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni city of Aden late on Friday, when a Singapore-flagged vessel was damaged by a Houthi strike.

The UKMTO said that incident was still under investigation.

news.sky.com

Israeli strikes launched against Houthi-held Yemeni city - day after Tel Aviv attack

The Israeli Defence Forces said the strikes were launched in response to the "hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months".
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
Israeli senior ministers boycotted vote to approve Yemen strike: Report

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Justice Minister Yariv Levin have boycotted a security cabinet meeting in which the decision to strike Yemen’s Hodeidah port was made, Israeli media have reported, saying they were not informed of the plan ahead of time.

Channel 12 reported that the ministers refused to attend after being summoned to the meeting just 45 minutes in advance. The Walla news outlet said relevant information was sent from the defence establishment to the Knesset as the attack was already under way.

Disagreements within the Israeli coalition governments have simmered since the onset of the war on Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera
 

Saudi Arabia says no involvement with strikes targeting Hodeidah​


Saudi Arabia on Sunday said it had nothing to do with the Israeli air strikes on Yemen’s city of Hodeidah and that it will not allow anyone to use the Kingdom’s airspace for offensive purposes.

“The Kingdom has no relation or involvement in the targeting of Hodeidah, and the Kingdom will not allow any entity to violate its airspace,” Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, said in a statement on the X social media app.

Israeli warplanes struck the Houthi-held western Yemeni city on Saturday in an apparent reprisal for the Houthi drone strike on a Tel Aviv apartment building before dawn Friday, killing one civilian.

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the airstrike was meant to send a message to the Houthis that their attacks would not be left unanswered.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia, which controls a large part of Yemen, had been attacking commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea and the Bab-Al-Mandab straight in a sympathy action for the Palestinians in Gaza amid Israeli attacks.

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that the Israeli strikes hit a power plant and a gasoline storage facility, killing three and wounding 87 people.

Unfazed by the swift Israeli response, Houthi officials threatened to continue attacking ships doing commerce with Israel and on Israel itself.

“We emphasize that this brutal aggression will only strengthen the determination and steadfastness of the Yemeni people and their valiant armed forces in their support for Gaza,” Mohammed Abdul Sallam, the Houthi chief negotiator based in Muscat, posted on X.

Houthi Shura Council member Abdul Sallam Jahaf said: “We will respond more violently and harshly to this Zionist-American orgy.”

 
Israel shoots down missile fired from Yemen after striking Houthis

Israel said it shot down a missile launched from Yemen on Sunday and the Yemeni Houthi movement said it had fired several missiles at the Israeli city of Eilat after Israel's first public strike against the Iran-aligned group a day earlier.

The Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel and disrupted global trade through the Red Sea in response to Israel's assault on Gaza, further destabilising the Middle East as war in the Palestinian enclave rages on after nine months.

Israel says the Houthis have launched 200 attacks against it since the Gaza war began, many of them intercepted and most of them not deadly.

But a rare Houthi drone strike on Friday hit Tel Aviv and killed one person, prompting Israel to announce its first strikes against the group on Saturday. The strikes by warplanes hit near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah and killed six people, local medics said.

The Houthi movement, known formally as Ansar Allah, said on Sunday it would continue to attack Israel in response.


 
Honestly, I never thought I would ever be waiting for Trump in white house. But once he is in, these clashes here and Ukraine will end swiftly one way or another. We need some respite!
 

Yemen: Aden government and Houthis agree measures to 'de-escalate'​


The internationally recognised government of Yemen has signed an agreement with the Houthi movement to "de-escalate" tensions between the two sides, relaxing restrictions on the banking sector and resuming flights by the national airline.

According to a statement by the UN, the two sides informed the special envoy of the secretary-general for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, of the new agreement on Monday.

Among the points listed in the agreement were "cancelling all the recent decisions and procedures against banks by both sides and refraining in the future from any similar decisions or procedures", as well as "resuming Yemenia Airways’ flights between Sanaa and Jordan and increasing the number of flights to three daily flights, and operating flights to Cairo and India daily or as needed."

The government of Yemen, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, has been at war with the Houthis (officially called Ansar Allah) since 2015. The Iran-aligned rebel movement controls the capital Sanaa and most of the country.

The fighting has seen much of the country plunged into ruin with hundreds of thousands dead and widespread destruction of infrastructure and food shortages.

In December, the two sides in Yemen committed to a UN-led roadmap to end the war, agreeing to work towards "the resumption of an inclusive political process".

Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza, threw the future of the roadmap into doubt, despite Saudi Arabia's relatively muted response to the attacks.

Two other facets of Monday's agreement involved convening meetings "to address the administrative, technical, and financial challenges faced by" Yemenia, which has seen its operations severely reduced as a result of the ongoing conflict and a Saudi-backed land and air siege.

It also involves "initiating the convening of meetings to discuss all economic and humanitarian issues based on the roadmap”.

The government-controlled central bank in May banned transactions with six banks in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa for failing to abide by an order to relocate to Aden, which is under the control of the Saudi-backed government.

The Houthis said the move was a disguised attempt by the United States and Saudi Arabia to exert financial pressure on the Houthi banking system, which uses different bank notes with different exchange rates.

In response, they banned any dealings with 13 banks in Aden, preventing people in Houthi-held areas from getting remittances through them or withdrawing and depositing money.

www.middleeasteye.net

Yemen: Aden government and Houthis agree measures to 'de-escalate'

New agreement sees removal of banking restrictions and more activity by national airline
www.middleeasteye.net www.middleeasteye.net
 
Red Sea shipping crisis worsens after Israel-Houthi attacks

Most shipping firms have rerouted their vessels to avoid drone attacks by Yemen-based Houthi rebels. But Israel's strike on the Red Sea port of Hodeida marks a major escalation that could further hurt maritime trade.

Maritime traffic through the Red Sea — the vital waterway carrying goods from Asia to Europe — had already fallen by nearly 80% when Yemen's Houthi rebels and Israel escalated their spillover conflict from the Gaza war last weekend.

On Friday, the Iran-backed Houthi militia attacked the Israeli city of Tel Aviv from more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) to the south, killing one person. Israel retaliated a day later with its first-ever airstrikes on Yemen's port city of Hodeida, which the Houthis control, killing six people and wounding 83 others, the Health Ministry in Yemen said.

Last year, the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in response to Israel's war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, forcing shipping lines to reroute their vessels via southern Africa.


www.dw.com

Red Sea shipping crisis worsens after Israel-Houthi attacks – DW – 07/24/2024

Most shipping firms have rerouted their vessels to avoid drone attacks by Yemen-based Houthi rebels. But Israel's strike on the Red Sea port of Hodeida marks a major escalation that could further hurt maritime trade.
www.dw.com www.dw.com
 

Israel says ready to hit Houthis again while urging US-led coalition to take lead​


Israel is prepared to attack Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen again following its air strike last week, the country’s top diplomat said, though would prefer the US-led maritime security coalition to take the lead role.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the Iran-backed militant group is planning fresh attacks after a long-distance Houthi drone killed a man in Tel Aviv on July 19, and is undeterred despite Israel’s counter-strike on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah the following day.

“They will continue,” Katz said in an interview in his Jerusalem office. The Houthis are working with Hezbollah, the most powerful of Iran’s allied militant groups, and Shia militias in Iraq, he said.

The foreign minister reiterated Israel’s threat to escalate fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon unless the group retreats from the border area, where the two sides have traded rocket fire since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas in October. Both Hezbollah and the Houthis have launched missiles at Israel since the start of the war in Gaza, in solidarity with their fellow militant group and the impact of the conflict on Palestinian civilians.

Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis are all designated terrorist organizations by the US.

 

Houthi leader threatens response to Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah​


A Houthi response to Israeli airstrikes near Yemen’s Hodeidah is coming, the Iran-backed group’s leader declared in a televised speech on Thursday.

Israeli fighter jets struck Houthi military targets near Yemen’s port of Hodeidah on Saturday, killing at least nine people and wounding 87, a day after a Houthi drone hit Israeli economic hub Tel Aviv.

“The response is inevitable,” Abdulmalik al-Houthi said.

The group’s attacks on Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza will continue and not be deterred by the Israeli airstrikes, he added.

“Everything that happens from the side of the Israeli enemy will be more incentive for revenge,” al-Houthi said.

 

Suspected missile attack by Houthis shits container ship in first attack in two weeks​


A suspected missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi militia struck a container ship traveling through the Gulf of Aden, authorities said Sunday, likely the first assault by the group since Israeli airstrikes targeted them.

The Houthis have offered no explanation for the two-week pause in their attacks on shipping through the Red Sea corridor, which have seen similar slowdowns since the assaults began in November over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

But the resumption comes after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, amid renewed concerns over the war breaking out into a regional conflict.

The attack on Saturday happened some 225 kilometers (140 miles) southeast of Aden in a stretch of the Gulf of Aden that has seen numerous Houthi attacks previously.

A security official on the vessel said a missile struck the vessel, but “no fires, water ingress or oil leaks have been observed,” according to a statement from the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, a clearinghouse for information on attacks in the Mideast. The UKMTO did not immediately identify the vessel hit.

The private security firm Ambrey also reported the attack. Details reported by the two organizations suggested the vessel targeted was the Liberian-flagged container ship Groton, which had left Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Groton’s Greek managers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack Saturday. However, it can take them hours or even days before they acknowledge an assault.

Houthis have targeted more than 70 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign that have killed four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two in the time since. Other missiles and drones have been either intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or splashed down before reaching their targets.

The Houthis maintain that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain as part of the campaign they say seeks to force an end to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the war — including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis also have launched drones and missiles toward Israel, including an attack July 19 that killed one person and wounded 10 others in Tel Aviv. Israel responded the next day with airstrikes on the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida that hit fuel depots and electrical stations, killing and wounding a number of people, the Houthis say.

In the time since, there has not been a reported attack on shipping through the Red Sea corridor, which links Asia and the Middle East onto Europe through the Suez Canal. Since November, Houthi attacks have disrupted the $1 trillion flow of goods passing through the region annually while also sparking the most-intense combat the US Navy has seen since World War II.

The killing of Haniyeh in Tehran has sparked concerns of a new escalation in the Israel-Hamas war. Already, the US military says it will move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and keep an aircraft carrier in the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group will enter the Middle East to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which is in the Gulf of Oman. Other ships are in the Mediterranean Sea with a Marine detachment if regional evacuations become necessary.

Meanwhile Saturday, the US military’s Central Command said its forces destroyed a Houthi missile and launcher in Yemen.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage, sparked the war. In the time since, Israel has killed at least 39,550 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and 590 in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials say.

 

Yemen's Houthis Down US MQ-9 Reaper Drone​


Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said Sunday that it targeted MV Groton vessel in the Gulf of Aden and also confirmed it had downed a U.S. drone "MQ-9" over Yemen's northern Saada province.

The attacks are the first to be claimed by the Houthis since Israel carried out a retaliatory airstrike against the group in the port of Hodeidah on July 20.

 
Houthis are costing America millions of Dollars.

Houthis are like a part-time spinner who is being economical on a sluggish track.
 
Yemen's Houthis target vessels, company says Contship Ono not hit, crew safe

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Wednesday that it had targeted the Contship Ono in the Red Sea and two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Aden, while Contships Management said the vessel had not been hit and its crew were safe.

Earlier, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that the Houthi air force also had targeted U.S. destroyer Cole with a number of drones and the U.S. destroyer Laboon with a number of ballistic missiles.

Saree said the Liberia-flagged, container ship Contship Ono was targeted with ballistic missiles and drones.

"The vessel and its crew are safe and there has been no incident affecting its operations," the Athens-based Contships Management said in a statement to Reuters.

A U.S. official also said that there was no data or information to corroborate the Houthis' claim that the two warships had been attacked.


 

US, UK strike Houthi targets in Yemen’s Taiz​


The US and UK militaries launched strikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen’s Taiz province on Wednesday morning, hours after the US Central Command confirmed the destruction of a fresh wave of Houthi drones and missiles.

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah said that the US and UK “aggression” carried out two strikes on the province of Taiz, but provided no other information on the targeted areas.

This is the most recent wave of strikes by the US and UK against Houthi-held Yemeni territory in response to the militia’s assaults on ships in international commerce channels off Yemen.

The strikes in Taiz came shortly after the US military announced on Tuesday night that its forces had destroyed a drone and two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis in Yemen over the Red Sea, which were aimed at US-led marine coalition ships as well as other naval and commercial ships in the critical shipping route.

Since November, the Houthis have struck ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, and recently claimed to have attacked ships in the Mediterranean, in what the Yemeni militia sees as actions intended to force Israel to end its military operations in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, which have killed tens of thousands.

Critics of the Houthis say that they are using popular fury in Yemen over Israel’s destructive war in Gaza to recruit new militants, build up public support in Yemen, punish dissidents and assault government forces.

At the same time, Al-Masirah said that since November the militia had attacked 170 ships, including 41 Israeli ships, 72 American and 12 British, as well as 45 foreign ships, for allegedly violating their prohibition on traveling to Israel.

The majority of the ships were attacked in the Red Sea, and the Houthis claimed 49 warships, including many US destroyers, were hit in the operation.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that the recent Houthi arrests of relief workers in regions under their control in Yemen would aggravate the already dire humanitarian situation and the spread of illnesses such as cholera.

“More than 200 people have already died from this preventable disease, and the Houthis’ detention of aid workers poses a serious threat to further limit the presence of lifesaving aid,” Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch said in a statement, accusing the Houthis of impeding relief work and enforcing “cumbersome” conditions for getting critical information on the spread of cholera and other illnesses.

The Houthis’ obstruction of information collection, lack of openness, aggressive anti-vaccine efforts and crackdown on humanitarian workers in Yemen had all contributed to the spread of Cholera in Yemen, the international rights groups said.

“The obstructions to aid work by Yemen’s authorities, in particular the Houthis, are contributing to the spread of cholera,” she said.

Since late May, the Houthis have abducted dozens of Yemeni workers from international relief, development and human rights groups, including several UN agencies, in a campaign that has sparked anger and strong condemnation from the UN and other organizations.

“The arrests have left many agencies questioning whether or how to continue safely providing humanitarian aid in Houthi-controlled territories, which has the potential to further exacerbate the current cholera outbreak,” Human Rights Watch said.

 
Crude oil tanker in Bab el-Mandeb Strait targeted in suspected Houthi attack

The Associated Press reports that three suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, including one that saw private security guards shoot and destroy a bomb-loaded drone boat, authorities said on Friday.

Reuters reports that the vessel was a crude oil tanker owned by an Athens-based company.

The Houthis did not immediately claim the assaults, though they follow a months-long campaign by the rebels targeting shipping through the Red Sea corridor over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

After a recent two-week pause, their attacks resumed after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, amid concerns of a wider regional war. Iran backs the Houthis as part of what it calls a regional “Axis of Resistance.”

In the first attack, a rocket-propelled grenade exploded close to the ship Thursday, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. Two smaller craft, with men aboard wearing white and yellow raincoats, launched the RPG, the UKMTO said.

The second attack came early Friday, with a missile “exploding in close proximity to the vessel,” the UKMTO said. “The vessel and crew are reported to be safe.”

The private security firm Ambrey reported that the ship was hit by a drone that caused no injuries or physical damage.

“The vessel was assessed to be aligned with the Houthi target profile,” Ambrey said. “The vessel was assessed to have been targeted earlier in the day.”

Then came the third attack with the drone boat, where private security guards on board “opened fire and (were) able to successfully destroy the vehicle,” Ambrey said.

Though the Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, it sometimes can take hours or even days to acknowledge their assaults. They’ve also claimed others that apparently haven’t happened.

THE GUARDIAN
 
Yemen killed 70 Israeli soldiers in failed infiltration, claims ex-US colonel

A former US army officer has claimed that Yemen, with the help of Russian satellite technology, failed Israeli forces to attempt to infiltrate the country and killed 70 of their personnel.

In an interview with Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, retired US Colonel Douglas Macgregor alleged that around 70 Israeli special forces, along with an undisclosed number of American mercenaries, infiltrated Yemen. But he claimed that they were tracked by Russian satellites, which then provided the intelligence to Iranian forces.

The Houthis in Yemen, whom Macgregor described as “tough hombres on the battlefield” then set up an ambush and killed the entire infiltration team.

The former US colonel noted that footage of the dead operatives shows they were mostly Israeli, with some American mercenaries as well, and possibly even some British contractors.

“Persistence surveillance today changes everything in warfare,” he said and added that it makes it impossible for forces to infiltrate into regions without being discovered.

He was of the view that it was a “wake-up call” for Israel and the US. The retired US colonel called for disrupting space-based reconnaissance and intelligence

Last week, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned that the group was bound to respond to Israel’s killing of its top military commander, saying his death and that of the Hamas leader “crossed” red lines.


english.aaj.tv

Yemen killed 70 Israeli soldiers in failed infiltration, claims ex-US colonel

Alleges Yemen, with Russian satellite technology, failed Israel’s infiltration attempt
english.aaj.tv
 
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