Houthis Target Two Vessels In A Latest String Of Attacks In Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have reportedly targeted two ships with drones on Tuesday in their latest string of attacks in the Red Sea. Among the targeted ships, one was The Morning Tide, a UK-owned cargo vessel flying the Barbados flag with minor damage to some of its windows in the bridge area, targeted in the west of the Yemeni port of Hodeida. No casualties were reported, as per the private security firm Ambrey. Another vessel, Star Nasia, a Greek-owned bulk carrier flying the Marshall Islands flag, which was coming from the US and heading towards India, reported an explosion 50 metres from its starboard side; no injuries were reported, as per Ambrey.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houthi military, took responsibility for the assaults and said the attacks were directed at British and American vessels. However, no evidence has been provided to support the statement. The crew remained unharmed despite the strikes, and both vessels carried out their scheduled operations.

The Houthis have reportedly been attacking vessels in the Red Sea since November, allegedly in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Due to the attacks on ships along this vital maritime route, international trade has been disrupted, causing some shipping companies to divert their routes around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea.

The US, UK, and other allies have conducted airstrikes against the Houthi missile armory and launch sites in retaliation for the attacks. Central Command of the US military acknowledged that it was taking action against explosive-laden Houthi drone boats, citing a threat to nearby commerce and navy vessels.

The White House has retracted a previous remark regarding informing the Iraqi government before initiating attacks in Syria and Iraq, which has further heightened tensions in the area. The prime minister of Iraq, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, has stressed Iraq’s sovereignty while denouncing attacks on US forces and expressing reluctance about US retaliation strikes.

Amidst ongoing military operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party along the Turkish-Iraqi border, the defence minister of Turkey paid a visit to Baghdad to talk about matters associated with regional security. The head of the Houthi movement in Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who has connections to Iran, warned on Tuesday that his group will significantly intensify its activities if the Israeli attack on Gaza continues.

In a televised speech, Abdul Malik al-Houthi declared that if the violent aggression against Gaza continues, the group will try to escalate its efforts to impose more and more restrictions on the Palestinian people, to whom they are denying food and medical care.

Ships are being rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope to bypass the Suez Canal by freight businesses due to the disruption in the world’s maritime trade.

Reference: The Telegraph, NDTV

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Source: Maritime Shipping News