HOUTHIS RESUME ATTACKS IN RED SEA WITH FULL FORCE

The Iran-allied Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen resumed attacks against ships affiliated with Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom after a tactical pause.

The group began attacking Israel-affiliated ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden last November. Later in January it began to attack ships owned by the U.S. and UK after the two countries launched strikes against Yemen. The operations were also expanded to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

On April 24, the Houthis attacked what they claimed to be two American-owned ships, the Maersk Yorktown in the Gulf of Aden and the MSC Veracruz, in the Indian Ocean. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that its forces intercepted a ballistic missile that was fired at Maersk Yorktown and intercepted four drones over Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on that day.

And on April 25, the Houthis announced that they had targeted an alleged Israeli ship, the MSC Darwin, in the Gulf of Aden. They also said they launched a number of “ballistic and winged missiles” at the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident southwest of Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on that day. However, Hebrew media didn’t report any blasts or interceptions in Eilat.

On April 27, the Houthis said that they had struck a British oil ship, Andromeda Star, in the Red Sea a day earlier, and shot down a U.S. MQ-9 combat drone over the northern Yemeni province of Sadaa two days ago. Both CENTCOM and UKMTO confirmed that the Andromeda Star was struck. The Pentagon also confirmed losing a drone over Yemen.

The Houthis continued their attacks and on April 29, targeting the Israel-affiliated Greek-owned Cyclades cargo ship in the Red Sea with a drone. UKMTO confirmed that the ship was damaged.

Another Israel-affiliated ship, MSC Orion, was targeted in the Indian Ocean on the same day. CENTCOM also said that the Houthis launched a drone in the direction of USS Philippine, Ticonderoga-class cruiser, and USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, in the Red Sea.

On May 1, the U.S. hit back. CENTCOM said that an uncrewed surface vessel was targeted in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. Strikes were reported on the port of Ras Issa in the western Yemeni province of al-Hodeidah.

Yemen is now the hottest front in the regional confrontation between Israel and the Iran-led Axis of Resistance that broke out after the October 7 Hamas-led surprise attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip.

We could however see more escalation by Hezbollah in Lebanon and the so-called Islamic Resistance in both Iraq and Syria if Israel goes on with its plans to attack the densely-populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

https://southfront.press/houthis-resume-attacks-in-red-sea/