Houthi Involvement In The Israel–Hamas War
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The Red Sea crisis, also known as the United States–Iran proxy war, References for this being a US-Iran proxy war: * * * began on 19 October 2023 when Yemen's Houthi movement initiated a series of attacks, targeting Southern Israel and the ships in the Red Sea it claimed were linked to Israel, although some ships with no apparent link to Israel were also targeted. During the Israel–Hamas war, the Houthi movement in Yemen, aligned with Hamas, launched attacks targeting Israel. They employed missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), some of which were intercepted by Israel over the Red Sea using the
Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
missile defense system (another missile was intercepted in space, making it the first instance of space warfare in history according to Israeli officials); others fell short of their targets or were intercepted by the United States Navy, the French Navy and the Israeli Air Force. On December 2023, Houthi spokesperson
Yahya Saree Yahya Qasim Sare'e ( ar, يحيى قاسم سريع ) is a brigadier general and military spokesperson since 2018 for the Yemeni Armed Forces ( SPC), an offshoot closely related with the Houthi movement. He frequently appears in military stat ...
announced that any ship destined for Israel was a "legitimate target" and claimed they will not stop until the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
is supplied with "food and medicine". Houthi militants have also fired on merchant vessels of various countries in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a chokepoint of the global economy. This resulted in hundreds of cargo ships and tankers being rerouted around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the attacks in the Red Sea. The United States has struck Houthis seven times since launching its first series of strikes alongside the British military on 11 January.


Background

The Houthi movement is a Shiite militant organization which controls northern Yemen and is supported and funded by Iran. Following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, Iranian-supported militant groups across the Middle East, including the Houthis, expressed support for the
Palestinians Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
and threatened to attack Israel. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned the United States against intervening, threatening retaliation with drones and missiles. In order to end the attacks in the Red Sea, the Houthis demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israel's
blockade of the Gaza Strip The blockade of the Gaza Strip is the ongoing land, air, and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip imposed by Israel and Egypt temporarily in 2005–2006 and permanently from 2007 onwards, following the Israeli disengagement from Gaza. The block ...
.


Weapons

Houthi weapons come mainly from Iran. They are known to use surface-to-surface missiles, artillery rockets, loitering munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They have several missiles and UAVs capable of reaching Israel from Yemen: * Toufan – a surface-to-surface missile, with a range of . *
Cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...
s – from the Iranian Soumar family, with strike ranges of about . * Quds-2 missile – supposedly with a range of but made to strike Israel. * Samad-3 and Samad-4 – UAVs/ loitering munitions with ranges of +. * Wa'id drones – similar to Iran's Shahed 136, loitering munition with a range of .


Timeline of events


October 2023

On 19 October 2023 US officials said the United States Navy
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
shot down three land-attack cruise missiles and several drones heading toward Israel launched by the Houthis in Yemen. This was the first action by the U.S. military to defend Israel since the outbreak of the war. It was later reported that the ship shot down four cruise missiles and 15 drones. Another missile was reportedly intercepted by Saudi Arabia. On 27 October 2023 two loitering munitions were fired in a northerly direction from the southern Red Sea. According to
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
(IDF) officials, their target was Israel, but they did not cross the border from Egypt. Of the two drones, one fell short and hit a building adjacent to a hospital in Taba, Egypt, injuring six; the other was shot down near an electricity plant close to the town of Nuweiba, Egypt. A Houthi official later made a one-word post on Twitter after the drone crashed in Taba, mentioning the nearby Israeli city of Eilat. On 31 October an alert was triggered in Eilat,
Eilot Eilot ( he, אֵילוֹת; is the southernmost kibbutz in Israel. It is located in the Arabah, Aravah valley, near the border with Jordan. Eilot is less than a kilometer north of Eilat, and just over 3 kilometers north of the Red Sea. It falls ...
kibbutz A kibbutz ( he, קִבּוּץ / , lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural: kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1909, was Degania. Today, farming h ...
and the Shahorit industrial park area regarding the penetration of hostile aircraft from the Red Sea. The aircraft was successfully intercepted over the Red Sea. The Arrow system intercepted a ballistic missile and the Air Force intercepted several cruise missiles fired from the Red Sea toward Eilat. The Houthis took responsibility for the launches. One cruise missile was shot down by an F-35i Adir jet. The downing of the missile by the Arrow marks the first time it has been used in the Israel–Hamas war. According to Israeli officials, the interception occurred above Earth's atmosphere above the
Negev Desert The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southe ...
, making it the first instance of space warfare in history.


November 2023

On 1 November at 0:45 the IDF intercepted an air threat fired from Yemen and identified south of Eilat. A US
MQ-9 Reaper The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Unit ...
drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Houthi air defences on 8 November; the Pentagon previously said that MQ-9 drones were flying over Gaza in an intelligence gathering role to aid in the hostage recovery efforts. On 9 November, the Houthis fired a missile toward the city of Eilat. The missile was intercepted by an Arrow 3 missile, marking the first time it was used in an interception. On 14 November the Houthis fired numerous missiles, one of which was aimed toward the city of Eilat. The missile was intercepted by an Arrow missile according to Israeli officials. The following day, US officials said that shot down a drone, fired from Yemen, that was headed toward it. On 22 November, the Houthis fired a cruise missile aimed toward the city of Eilat. Israeli officials said the missile was successfully shot down by an F-35. On 23 November 2023, US officials said that the destroyer USS ''Thomas Hudner'' had shot down several attack drones launched from Yemen. On 29 November 2023 US officials said the US Navy destroyer USS ''Carney'' shot down a Houthi KAS-04 drone as the destroyer approached the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. On 30 November 2023, Saudi media reported that an Israeli airstrike caused an explosion at a Houthi arms depot in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. Houthi officials denied the report, stating that a gas station was hit instead. A member of the Houthis' political bureau, Hezam al-Asad, said that the explosion was caused by the remnants of a bomb left over from the Yemeni civil war.


December 2023

On 6 December 2023 the Houthi movement launched several ballistic missiles at Israeli military posts in Eilat. On the same day, USS ''Mason'' shot down a drone launched from Yemen. There were no clear indications of its target. On 10 December 2023 the French Navy's
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
, operating in the Red Sea, intercepted two drones launched from Hodeida, a Houthi-held port. The US Navy reportedly shot down 14 drones on 16 December 2023, while Egyptian Air Defense Forces intercepted an object flying near Dahab. On 18 December 2023 the Indian Navy stationed the destroyer in the
Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...
for maritime security. The destroyer was already deployed in the region to counter Somali pirates, although the Government of India remains silent about its involvement in Operation Prosperity Guardian. By 21 December 2023, the Port of Eilat, which gives Israel via the Red Sea its only easy shipping access to Asia without the need to transit the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
, had seen an 85% drop in activity due to the Houthi action. On 26 December 2023 Houthis said they carried out drone attacks on Eilat and other parts of Israel. The US shot down 12 drones and five missiles fired by them, and the IDF said they also shot down a projectile launched from Yemen, targeting Israel, over the Red Sea, off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula. On 26 December the Indian Navy deployed the destroyers and in the Arabian Sea after an Israel-affiliated merchant vessel was struck off the Indian coast. The navy was investigating the nature of the attack on the vessel, MV ''Chem Pluto'', which docked in Mumbai on Monday, and initial reports pointed to a drone attack, a navy statement said. The Pentagon said on Saturday that a drone launched from Iran struck the ''Chem Pluto'' in the Indian Ocean. The Foreign Ministry of Iran denied the U.S. accusations and called them 'baseless'. The vessel's crew included 21 Indians and one Vietnamese citizen.


January 2024

On 4 January, just hours after the warning, Houthis launched an unmanned surface vessel (USV) towards US Navy and commercial vessels, but it detonated well over a from the ships. On 7 January, the Houthi movement stated that retaliatory attacks against the U.S. Navy would continue unless the US hands over the Navy servicemembers who killed the 10 Houthi attack boat personnel for them to stand trial in Yemen. On 7 January the
Pakistan Navy ur, ہمارے لیے اللّٰہ کافی ہے اور وہ بہترین کارساز ہے۔ English language, English: Allah is Sufficient for us - and what an excellent (reliable) Trustee (of affairs) is He!(''Quran, Qur'an, Al Imran, 3:173' ...
deployed two s, PNS ''Tughril'' and ''Taimur'' in the Arabian Sea following "recent incidents of maritime security." On 10 January, a large-scale attack was initiated by the Houthis against USS ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'', USS ''Gravely'', USS ''Laboon'', USS ''Mason'' and HMS ''Diamond'', in which at least 21 UAVs and missiles were launched. On 11 January, U.S. Navy SEALs raided a ship off the coast of Somalia which was bound to Houthi militants. Iranian-made missile components and other weapons, including air defense parts, were seized from the ship. The ship was then sunk and its crew of 14 people were detained. During the raid, a SEAL was pushed into the water by high waves and one of his teammates jumped in after him, causing both of them to go missing. Both SEALs were declared dead by the US military after a 10-day search failed to locate them. On 12 January, the US and UK conducted airstrikes against over a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen with the support of multiple other countries, just hours after the group's leader vowed that any American attack on its forces would "not go without a response". The strikes were the first time Houthi targets in Yemen were targeted since the beginning of the Red Sea crisis. More than 150 munitions and
Tomahawk missiles The Tomahawk () Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations. Under contract f ...
struck 28 locations within Houthi-controlled areas. The Houthis said five of their fighters were killed and six others were injured. A day later, the US performed another strike on a Houthi radar site in Sanaa. On 14 January, American and British airstrikes were reported in Hodeida, and spy planes were reportedly spotted near the area. Reports also suggested that Israel was involved in the attacks. The US issued a denial the same day. On 14 January, Houthis fired an anti-ship cruise missile from Hodeida in the direction of USS ''Laboon''. The missile was shot down by a fighter jet before it could cause damage. On 16 January, the US struck four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles as they were being prepared to target ships in the Red Sea. The following day, a fourth round of US strikes hit 14 missiles across Houthi-controlled areas. On 22 January, in the eighth round of strikes against Houthis, the US and UK conducted airstrikes against eight Houthi targets in the vicinity of Sanaa airfield. On 24 January, Houthi claimed to have attacked U.S. destroyers and other warships in the Red Sea. This attack supposed to be in response to . Houthi claimed to have directly hit a U.S. destroyer with a missile during the attack. This attack was denied by the United States government.


Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean (2023–present)

On 19 November, the car transporter was hijacked by the Houthis, with 25 individuals on board. The empty car transporter en route to India was boarded using a Mil Mi-17 helicopter. The incident followed a statement by Houthi spokesman
Yahya Sarea Yahya Qasim Sare'e ( ar, يحيى قاسم سريع ) is a brigadier general and military spokesperson since 2018 for the Yemeni Armed Forces ( SPC), an offshoot closely related with the Houthi movement. He frequently appears in military stat ...
on the group's Telegram channel, declaring their intention to target ships owned, operated by Israeli companies, or carrying the Israeli flag. According to the ship's owner, the vessel was then moved to the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah Al-Hudaydah ( ar, الْحُدَيْدَة, al-ḥudayda), also transliterated as Hodeda, Hodeida, Hudaida or Hodeidah, is the fourth-largest city in Yemen and its principal port on the Red Sea. As of 2004, its population was 402,560 and it is ...
. Sarea also urged countries to remove their citizens from crews of such ships. Earlier, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had threatened further attacks against Israeli interests, including potential targets in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. His speech emphasized the group's capability to monitor and target Israeli ships in these regions. On 24 November 2023, Iran allegedly attacked the , a Malta- flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean. A drone was shot down over the Red Sea by an IDF fighter jet. On 26 November 2023, the Liberian-flagged , an oil tanker managed by
Zodiac Maritime Zodiac Maritime Ltd is an international ship management company. Zodiac is also a large ship owner and charters out these vessels. It is part of Ofer Global, based in Monaco, and the chairman is Eyal Ofer. Zodiac was involved in the MSC Napoli ...
, was seized off the coast of Yemen in the
Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...
. It carried a full cargo of phosphoric acid with 22 crew members consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The destroyer , along with a partner country in the multilateral anti-piracy operation
CTF 151 Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to enga ...
, conducted a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operation that facilitated the release of the ''Central Park'' and captured the hijackers on the ship following their attempted escape. The ship's crew was unharmed. The U.S. military reported that in the early morning hours of the following day, two ballistic missiles were fired in the direction of the ''Mason'' and the ''Central Park'' from Houthi territory in Yemen and ended up in the Gulf of Aden. The five hijackers, all suspected Somali pirates, were detained by the U.S. Navy. On 3 December 2023, the United States Navy reportedly shot down three attack drones launched from Yemen that were approaching the ship. After shooting down the drones, the ship responded to a distress call by three commercial ships in the area (the ''Unity Explorer'', ''Number 9'' and ''Sophie II'') which were under attack by ballistic missiles launched from Yemen. The Houthis claimed responsibility for two of the attacks. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General
Yahya Sarea Yahya Qasim Sare'e ( ar, يحيى قاسم سريع ) is a brigadier general and military spokesperson since 2018 for the Yemeni Armed Forces ( SPC), an offshoot closely related with the Houthi movement. He frequently appears in military stat ...
stated that one merchant vessel was hit by a missile and another by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, without mentioning a warship. A Pentagon source said that the attacks on ''Carney'' caused no injuries or damage. On 12 December 2023, the Houthis launched an anti-ship
cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...
attack against the Norwegian commercial ship ''Strinda'', an oil and
chemical tanker A chemical tanker is a type of tanker ship designed to transport chemicals in bulk. As defined in MARPOL Annex II, chemical tanker means a ship constructed or adapted for carrying in bulk any liquid product listed in chapter 17 of the Internat ...
operated by the
J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi is a Bergen-based shipping company that operates eight tankers with six newbuildings. The company is privately owned and has divided ownership between one foundation and the Mowinckel family through the founde ...
company, while it was close to the Bab-el-Mandeb. The ''Strinda'' was on its way from Malaysia to Italy (via the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
). The attack caused a fire aboard the ship; no crew members were injured. The ship was carrying cargo of
palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 33% of global oils produced from ...
. The French Armed Forces Ministry and U.S. Department of Defense reported that the ''Languedoc'' shot down a drone targeted at the ''Strinda'', and USS ''Mason'' also rendered aid. The Houthi attack on the ''Strinda'' was an expansion of its series of attacks against maritime shipping in the strait; the Houthis began to attack commercial vessels without any discernible tie to Israel. On 13 December 2023, Houthi rebels attempted to board the ''Ardmore Encounter'', a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial tanker coming from Mangaluru, India and en route to either Rotterdam, Netherlands or Gavle, Sweden, but failed, prompting a distress call from the ship. They then targeted the tanker with missiles, which missed. USS ''Mason'' responded to the tanker's distress call and shot down a UAV launched from a Houthi-controlled area. The ''Ardmore Encounter'' was able to continue its voyage without further incident. On 14 December 2023, a Houthi-launched missile was fired at the ''Maersk Gibraltar'', though it missed its target. On 15 December 2023, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed responsibility for attacks on two Liberian-flagged vessels identified as ''MSC Alanya'' and ''MSC Palatium III''. The Houthis fired naval missiles at the ships as they alleged they were traveling to Israel. On 15 December, it was reported that the Liberian-flagged ''Al-Jasrah'', which is owned by
Hapag Lloyd Hapag-Lloyd AG is a German international shipping and container transportation company. Hapag-Lloyd was formed in 1970 through a merger of Hamburg-American Line (HAPAG) and North German Lloyd. History The company was formed on September 1, 1 ...
, caught fire after being hit by a Houthi-launched projectile while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On 16 December 2023, Royal Navy destroyer shot down a drone over the Red Sea while it was targeting a commercial ship. On 18 December 2023, Houthis claimed to have launched attacks targeting two cargo vessels in the Red Sea near Mocha port, the ''MSC Clara'' and the Norwegian-owned ''Swan Atlantic''. The ''Swan Atlantic''s owner, Inventor Chemical Tankers, said its water tank was damaged in the attack and denied it has any Israeli ties. On 23 December 2023, Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the southern Red Sea, but no ships were hit. also shot down four UAVs that were heading toward it. On 26 December 2023, Houthis fired several naval missiles at the ''MSC United VIII'' in the Red Sea after it rejected three warning calls. She reported several explosions near her. She alerted a nearby coalition task force warship and engaged in evasive maneuvers as per her instructions during the attacks. The container ship ''Maersk Hangzhou'', owned by A.P. Moller Singapore Pte. Ltd. and in service with
Maersk Line Maersk Line or Maersk SeaLand is a Danish international container shipping company and the largest operating subsidiary of the Maersk Group, a Danish business conglomerate. Founded in 1928, it is the world's largest container shipping company by ...
, was attacked over two days in late December. On 30 December, she was hit by a land-based missile, suffering only limited damage and no casualties. The following day, four small Yemeni gunboats attempted to attack and board the ship. The ''Maersk Hangzhou''s own security team repelled them. Responding to her distress call, helicopters were deployed from and , which were then engaged by the Houthis. They returned fire and sank three of the boats, killing their crews (ten militants in all – the fourth boat withdrew), thus inflicting the first known casualties of the Red Sea Crisis. On 11 January, Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, which landed in the water near a commercial vessel, causing no damage or injuries. On 12 January, Houthis mistakenly targeted the as it carried Russian crude oil based on outdated information linking it to the United Kingdom. A missile was fired near the vessel as it sailed off the coast of Aden, causing no injuries or damage. Three small boats also tailed the vessel for over an hour. On 15 January, Houthis struck the with an anti-ship missile, causing a small fire on board. The did not cause injuries or significant damage. Another missile fired earlier failed in flight and crashed in Yemen. On 16 January, an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis struck the , causing material damage but no injuries. The Greek owned and Malta flagged vessel, which came from Vietnam and was en route to Israel, was able to continue transiting the Red Sea. On 17 January, Houthis struck the US-owned bulk carrier with a drone while it traversed the Gulf of Aden, causing minimal damage and no injuries to the crew. The Indian Navy announced the following day that a warship in the region was diverted to rescue the ship's crew of 22 people. On 18 January, Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at the , which was traveling from
Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...
, Saudi Arabia to Kuwait. The missiles landed in the water near the ship while it was traversing through the Gulf of Aden, and there was no reported damage or injuries. However, a Houthi post on social media claimed that they launched several naval missiles at the vessel, resulting in direct hits. On 22 January, Houthis claimed they attacked the US military cargo ship , but did not state the location of the attack or if damage was caused. However, the claim was rejected by the
US Naval Forces Central Command United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) is the United States Navy element of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM). Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. It consists of ...
. On 24 January, a Houthi missile exploded on the sea about 100 meters off the starboard side of the U.S. flagged, owned, and operated container ship ''Maersk Detroit''. This ship and the ''Maersk Chesapeake'', both in the
U.S. Maritime Administration The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. MARAD administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. Maritime Service and the U.S. Merchant Marine. De ...
's Maritime Security Program and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement were carrying U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, USAID, and other U.S. government agency cargo from Oman, and accompanied by U.S. Naval vessels while they were near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait transiting north. Two other missiles were shot down by the . Following the incident, the two vessels were ordered back to the
Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...
by U.S. Navy instruction with Navy escort and Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary that sails primarily U.S. government-owned goods, suspended all sailings in the Red Sea. On 26 January, a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward the USS ''Carney'' was shot down. The same day the ''Marlin Luanda'', an oil tanker operated by British company Oceonix Services on behalf of Trafigura, carrying Russian-produced naphtha, was hit by a missile as it traversed the Gulf of Aden. A Houthi spokesperson said the ship was targeted in response to "American-British aggression against our country". The attack, which the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported occurred 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden, directly hit the ship causing a fire in a cargo tank on the starboard side. The crew used firefighting equipment to put out the fire. None of the ship's crew was injured.


Iranian involvement

According to Iranian officials who spoke to '' Reuters'', Iranian personnel are present in Yemen, working in conjunction with
Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
militants. Their role involves directing and overseeing Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. The officials further stated that Iran has escalated its provision of advanced drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, precision-strike ballistic missiles, and medium-range missiles to the Houthis, since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war. According to US officials who spoke to ''
Semafor Semafor is a theatre in Prague, Czech Republic, established by Jiří Suchý and Ferdinand Havlík in 1959. Suchý has performed there for many years and is the current owner. The theatre was a starting point for many famous Czech musicians ...
'', commanders and advisors from Iran's Revolutionary Guards are currently stationed in Yemen, and are directly involved in the Houthi attacks on commercial traffic in the Red Sea. Additionally, the IRGC has also stationed missile and drone trainers and operators in Yemen. The
Qods Force The Quds Force ( fa, نیروی قدس, niru-ye qods, Jerusalem Force) is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) specializing in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War ...
, has overseen the transfer of the attack drones, cruise missiles, and medium-range ballistic missiles which have been used in the strikes on Red Sea and Israeli targets in recent weeks. According to Western intelligence officials, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have placed an intelligence gathering ship to guide Houthi attacks on ships that switch off radios and identifiers. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this is likely the ''Behshad'' which had replaced the ''Saviz'' (which had been used to supply weapons and intelligence to the Houthis until it came under an Israeli
limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...
attack in April 2021). The Iranian frigate later also entered the Red Sea.


North Korean involvement

According to Voice of America, North Korea had shipped weapons to the Houthis via Iran based on Hangul writing that was found on Houthi-launched missiles.


Possible war crimes

The Houthis have claimed they would target ships regardless of whether the ships contained any military targets, which according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) would constitute a war crime. The HRW also noted that the detention of captured crews could be considered a hostage-taking if they are detained to compel a third party to do or abstain from any act as a condition for the hostage's release or safety, which would be a violation of international humanitarian law and thus a war crime as well. A statement issued by the HRW called upon the militants to "end their attacks on civilians caught in the crosshairs of their declared war on Israel."


Impact

Houthi attacks have impacted shipping into Israel and local trade, with commercial shipping to the port of Eilat having almost completely ceased. Instead, commercial ships coming from Asia to Israel, as well as some commercial ships not destined for Israel, have started to go around Africa, which makes the journey around three weeks longer while increasing expenses. By 21 December, over 100 container ships have been rerouted to go around Africa, each adding around 6,000 nautical miles to the trip distance. Another impact of Houthi involvement was that insurance costs for commercial ships that go through the Red Sea have increased; Israeli ships have seen an increase of 250%, and others were unable to get any insurance. While Israelis would face delays in the supply chain and price hikes, the effects on the Egyptian economy are more severe as shipping through the Suez Canal contributes nearly $9.4 billion to the Egyptian economy which is suffering from a debt crisis made worse by trade disruptions with Israel due to the war in Gaza. Major shipping companies suspended ship traffic through the Red Sea due to the attacks, including
MSC MSC may refer to: Computers * Message Sequence Chart * Microelectronics Support Centre of UK Rutherford Appleton Laboratory * MIDI Show Control * MSC Malaysia (formerly known as Multimedia Super Corridor) * USB mass storage device class (USB MSC ...
, Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, and
Evergreen Marine Corporation Evergreen Marine Corporation () is a Taiwanese container transportation and shipping company that is headquartered in Luzhu District, Taoyuan, Luzhu District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. With over 150 container ships, it is part of the Evergreen Group ...
. On 18 December, the British multinational oil and gas company BP also suspended all shipments through the Red Sea. Maersk, which holds about 14.8% of the
market share Market share is the percentage of the total revenue or sales in a market that a company's business makes up. For example, if there are 50,000 units sold per year in a given industry, a company whose sales were 5,000 of those units would have a ...
in the global container shipping market, announced on 25 December 2023 that it would resume operations soon as a result of Operation Prosperity Guardian. By 30 December, Maersk had resumed Red Sea operations, but again paused them following the attacks on ''Maersk Guangzhou''. On 12 January, Tesla said it would suspend most production from its Grünheide factory, its only factory in Europe, for two weeks starting 29 January due to supply chain issues caused by Houthi attacks. Volvo Cars also said it would halt production from its plant in Ghent for three days starting the following week.
Shell plc Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Yo ...
announced a hold on "transit" through the Red Sea. On 21 December, the chief executive of Eilat Port said the port has seen an 85% drop in activity since the Yemeni attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Many ships instead took a safer route, going around Africa and the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
, although this route incurs an extra ten days, spends more fuel, and requires more crew time. The suspension of a large volume of trade through the Red Sea led to a decrease in use of the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
, and was thus a blow to the Egyptian economy. Qatar has halted tankers of liquefied natural gas through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after US-led airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen increased risks in the strait. Considering that Qatar is Europe's second largest supplier of LNG, the long-term suspension of exports has raised concerns as the winter season begins in Europe. On 16 January, the British multinational oil and gas company Shell suspended all Red Sea shipments indefinitely due to attacks on commerical vessels. Some ships traveling through the Red Sea began broadcasting "No contact Israel" on their automatic identification system in response to a Houthi request to vessels without ties to Israel.


Responses


In the region

In a speech at a manufacturing exposition following the incident of 27 October, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged all parties in the Israel–Hamas war to respect Egypt's sovereignty, and emphasized that the Egyptian Army was able to protect the country in case of any more attacks. In early December 2023, Israel called upon Western allies to respond to threats to maritime shipping from the Houthis; Israeli
National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils. National sec ...
Tzachi Hanegbi said that if threats continue, "we will act to remove this blockade." The Southern Transitional Council reportedly said in December 2023 that it was willing to cooperate with Israel to fight against the Houthis. However, Al-Islah, expressed support for the Houthi response to the Israel-Hamas war, despite its opposition to Houthi actions in the Yemeni civil war.


By the Houthis

On 25 January 2024, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated, "Our battle aims to support the Palestinian people, and has no other goals," and said that their operations would cease once food and medicine was reaching all of Gaza.


Multilateral, U.S.-led operation to deter attacks on merchant shipping

While the U.S. Navy has shot down Houthi rockets and missiles in the Red Sea, it has not retaliated against those firing them. In December 2023, after discussions with allies, the US announced the creation of a multilateral naval task force of protective escorts for commercial vessels in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and
Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...
region. The operation, codenamed
Operation Prosperity Guardian Operation Prosperity Guardian is a United States-led military operation by a multinational coalition formed in December 2023 to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Following the breakout of the ongoing Israel–Ha ...
, was formally launched on 23 December 2023. It is similar to past operations protecting commercial vessels from attack, including in the Arabian Gulf and
Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz ( fa, تنگه هرمز ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' ar, مَضيق هُرمُز ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the ...
during the " Tanker War" of the 1980s, and the ongoing maritime security operations of
Combined Task Force 153 The Combined Task Force 153 or CTF 153: Red Sea Maritime Security is a United States Navy-led initiative established on 17 April 2022 to "focus on international maritime security and capacity building efforts in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gu ...
, the U.S. Navy-led task force based in Bahrain. The operation has also been compared to the successful multilateral naval campaign a decade earlier to combat Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa, although the Houthis, unlike the Somali pirates, enjoy Iranian support, and better equipment and technology, such as helicopters, drones, missiles, and speedboats. France, Italy and India have all independently sent naval assets to the region, with the intercepting drones launched from a Houthi-controlled port while Italy has sent the frigate under the Secure Mediterranean operation. India has also sent two s to strengthen maritime security in the Red sea.


Protests

In mid-January 2024, reports indicated that pro-Palestinian demonstrators in London voiced support for Houthi militants. This occurred shortly after the UK and the US initiated strikes on Houthi targets in response to the group's assaults on ships. Some demonstrators were observed chanting slogans like, "Yemen, Yemen make us proud, turn another ship around," while others displayed signs with messages such as "Hands off Yemen", "Thanks Yemen", and "UK+US wants war. Yemen supports Palestine. Gaza Wants to live".


See also

* United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war * Attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria (2023–present) * International reactions to the Israel–Hamas war *
Operation Prosperity Guardian Operation Prosperity Guardian is a United States-led military operation by a multinational coalition formed in December 2023 to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Following the breakout of the ongoing Israel–Ha ...
* United States–Houthi conflict (2023–present) *
Closure of the Suez Canal (1967–1975) On 6 June 1967 the Suez Canal was closed shortly after the start of the Six-Day War or Third Arab–Israeli War. Israel bombed most of Egypt's airfields and then entered and occupied the Sinai Peninsula, all the way to the Suez Canal, for 15 yea ...


Notes

* Saudi Arabia and Egypt have not joined the coalition against the Houthis, but they have shot down Houthi missiles over their own territory. * The United States has deployed , , and .


References

{{Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) 2023 in international relations 2023 in Jordan 2023 in Yemen October 2023 events in Israel October 2023 events in Egypt October 2023 events in Saudi Arabia Airstrikes during the Israel–Hamas war Conflicts in 2023 Aerial operations and battles involving Israel Aerial operations and battles involving the United States United States Navy in the 21st century Drone strikes Space warfare Iran–Israel proxy conflict Israel-Hamas War Yemeni civil war (2014–present) Spillover of the Israel–Hamas war Egypt–Yemen relations Israel–Yemen relations United States–Yemen relations Bab-el-Mandeb South Sinai Governorate Conflicts in 2024