Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked two oil tankers in the Red Sea on Monday with ballistic missiles and a one-way attack drone, according to U.S. Central Command, which characterized the strikes as “reckless acts of terrorism.”
The U.S. responded on Tuesday with an airstrike on a “Houthi missile system” that the U.S. claimed “presented an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region.”
The Saudi-flagged Amjad and the Panama-flagged Blue Lagoon 1 struck on Monday are just the latest ships to be damaged by the Houthi rebels, who have attacked more than 80 merchant vessels since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, and have said the attacks will continue until Israel’s war on Gaza ends.
The Houthi campaign has led to a 90 percent decline in shipping activity through the Red Sea, according to a report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, and shows little sign of stopping, even though two U.S. aircraft carriers are now deployed in the region. ….more
