Houthi rebels claim attack on US ship in Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have successfully attacked an "American merchant ship" in the Red Sea, stating their weapons "directly hit the vessel." Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree identified the targeted ship as Koi, a Liberian-flagged container ship. Their claim followed a report from the United States (US) Central Command that a Houthi anti-ship missile was shot down in the same region. However, the accuracy of the rebels' claim remains unconfirmed, as they had previously made false statements about their success.
Why does this story matter?
The Houthis began targeting Red Sea shipping in November 2023. They claimed to be targeting Israeli-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza, which has been devastated by the Israel-Hamas conflict. On October 7, 2023, hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel, where they killed around 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 26,900 people.
Vessel's connection to UK and previous Houthi attack
Contrary to the Houthi's claims, the Koi vessel reportedly doesn't have any clear ties to the US. It is linked to the United Kingdom (UK) through its commercial manager, London-based Oceonix Services Limited. Oceonix also manages the Marlin Luanda, a product tanker that was struck by a Houthi missile and caught fire last week. Meanwhile, the US Central Command announced that it had launched new air strikes in Yemen, targeting 10 drones reportedly set up to launch.
Statement by US Central Command
The strikes targeted a "Houthi UAV ground control station and 10...one-way UAVs" that "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region," the central command said. Western analysts and governments suspect that Iran plays a significant role in Houthi attacks, from choosing targets to providing missile components. Dr. Ian Ralby—a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center—explained that Iranian operatives are skilled at identifying specific entities connected to ships and targeting them.
3 US troops killed in drone attack
Recently, three US Army soldiers were killed, and more than 30 service members were injured in a drone attack at a military outpost in Jordan. This was the first time US personnel had been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. American officials said the drone was fired by Iran-backed militants and appeared to have come from Syria. However, Iran denied any involvement.
