Middle East - USA blames Houthi militia for renewed gunfire on cargo ship in the Red Sea
According to US reports, the pro-Iranian Huthi rebels once again fired in the direction of cargo ships sailing in the Red Sea on Tuesday. The Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a section in the south of the Red Sea, through which numerous merchant ships were passing at the time, according to the US Central Command (Centcom) for the Middle East. According to the statement, no damage was caused.
Earlier, the UK Maritime Safety and Security Office (UKMTO) had reported explosions near a cargo ship in the Red Sea.
Houthi attack ships off the coast of Yemen
The UKMTO had stated in the online service X that up to three detonations had occurred at a distance of one to five nautical miles from a ship that had been in the Bab al Mandeb strait between Eritrea and Yemen. There is no known damage to the ship and the crew is safe.
Since the start of the war between Israel and the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of October, the Houthi militia has repeatedly attacked ships off the coast of Yemen.
The Red Sea is a central trade route through which up to twelve percent of global trade passes. Yemen is located on the Bab-al Mandeb strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
More and more shipping companies are taking detours
Due to the wave of Houthi attacks on container ships, several shipping companies are now avoiding sailing through the strait. In order to protect merchant shipping, the USA announced the formation of an international military coalition in mid-December.
Several missiles and drones have been intercepted by US Navy warships and the French and British fleets in recent weeks.
Like Hamas, the Houthis are supported by Iran. Alongside Hamas, the Shiite Islamists see themselves as part of the self-proclaimed "Axis of Resistance" directed against Israel, which also includes the Shiite Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
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- The USA has accused the Houthi militia, a pro-Iranian group based in Yemen, of firing anti-ship ballistic missiles at a cargo ship in the Red Sea, causing no damage according to US Central Command (Centcom) for the Middle East.
- The Houthis' recent attack on a cargo ship in the Red Sea came after a wave of attacks on merchant ships in the area, leading several shipping companies to take detours away from the Bab al Mandeb strait between Yemen and Eritrea.
- The USA announced the formation of an international military coalition to protect merchant shipping in the region following the Houthi attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen.
- According to reports, the Houthis, like the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, receives support from Iran and sees themselves as part of the "Axis of Resistance" directed against Israel, which also includes Shiite Islamist groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- The Red Sea is a vital trade route, carrying up to 12% of global trade, and any disruptions, such as those caused by the Houthi attacks, have significant economic and strategic consequences for countries in the Middle East and beyond, including the United States informed by its Central Command for the Middle East.
Source: www.stern.de
