Houthi militants target ships in new Red Sea attacks

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ON MONDAY, YEMEN’S HOUTHI MILITANTS LAUNCHED TWO SEPARATE ATTACKS ON SHIPS IN THE RED SEA, AS TENSIONS IN THE CRITICAL MARITIME CORRIDOR CONTINUE TO INCREASE.

THE FIRST TARGET WAS THE MT BENTLY I — A PANAMA-FLAGGED AND ISRAELI-OWNED VESSEL. OFF THE COAST OF YEMEN, THREE HOUTHI VESSELS ATTEMPTED TO BREACH THE SHIP. THE CREW DEFENDED THEMSELVES FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ATTACKERS GAVE UP. THE SHIP’S CAPTAIN LATER REPORTED THREE WAVES OF MISSILES EXPLODING NEAR THE VESSEL.

FOR THEIR SECOND TARGET, THE HOUTHIS WENT AFTER THE MT CHIOS LION, A LIBERIAN-FLAGGED OIL TANKER, WHICH FACED AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE STRIKE. A DRONE HIT THE PORT SIDE OF THE TANKER, CAUSING SOME MINOR DAMAGE.

ALL CREW MEMBERS FROM BOTH SHIPS WERE REPORTED SAFE.

THE U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND CONFIRMED THE INCIDENTS, CONDEMNING THE HOUTHIS’ ACTIONS AS RECKLESS AND DESTABILIZING. ALL OF THIS COMES AS THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT STEAMS TO THE REGION TO REPLACE THE USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, WHICH SPENT MONTHS COUNTERING HOUTHI THREATS.

THE MOST RECENT ATTACKS FOLLOW THE BROADER PATTERN EMPLOYED BY THE HOUTHIS SINCE NOVEMBER. IN THAT TIME, THE HOUTHIS TARGETED OVER 70 VESSELS, KILLED FOUR SAILORS, AND MAJORLY DISRUPTED MARITIME TRAFFIC. ATTACKS INTENSIFIED IN JUNE, REACHING LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE DECEMBER. ONE RECENT STRIKE EVEN SANK THE BULK CARRIER TUTOR. AS A RESULT OF THESE CONTINUOUS ASSAULTS, CONTAINER SHIPPING THROUGH THE RED SEA PLUMMETED BY 90% SINCE DECEMBER, ACCORDING TO THE JOINT MARITIME INFORMATION CENTER.

THE HOUTHIS CLAIM THEIR ATTACKS ARE AGAINST SHIPS LINKED TO ISRAEL, THE UNITED STATES, OR BRITAIN, ULTIMATELY IN SUPPORT OF HAMAS IN THEIR ONGOING CONFLICT WITH ISRAEL. IN REALITY MANY TARGETED SHIPS HAVE NO TIES TO THE CONFLICT.

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, LED BY THE U.S., IS INTENSIFYING ITS MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC RESPONSE TO THE HOUTHI ATTACKS. U.S.-LED AIRSTRIKES TARGETING HOUTHI POSITIONS ARE ON THE UPTICK SINCE JANUARY, WITH SIGNIFICANT STRIKES IN MAY KILLING AT LEAST 16 PEOPLE. U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN EMPHASIZED THE SWIFT ACTIONS OF THE EISENHOWER STRIKE GROUP, WHICH DOWNED NUMEROUS IRANIAN-MADE DRONES TO PROTECT SAILORS.

WITH THE IKE CSG RETURNING TO NORFOLK AFTER A HISTORICALLY LONG DEPLOYMENT, THE CREW IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CRITICAL ROLE IN ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE NAVAL CONFLICTS SINCE WORLD WAR II — IT’S ALSO THE FIRST TIME A CARRIER OPERATED IN MIDDLE EASTERN WATERS SINCE THE END OF THE AFGHANISTAN WAR IN 2021.

THE CARRIER’S DEPLOYMENT INCLUDED ROUGHLY 14-THOUSAND FLIGHT MISSIONS TARGETING HOUTHI DRONES AND ATTACK BOATS. IT LAUNCHED A TOTAL OF 155 STANDARD MISSILES, 135 TOMAHAWK MISSILES, 60 AIR-TO-AIR MISSILES, AND 420 AIR-TO-SURFACE WEAPONS.