These are

timeline A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representi ...

s of the

Red Sea crisis 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 t ...

, which began on 19 October 2023.

Timelines

Regional conflict

On 8 October 2023, the day after the Hamas attack on Israel,

U.S. Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The se ...

Lloyd Austin directed the ''Gerald R. Ford'' carrier strike group to the

Eastern Mediterranean Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...

in response. Along with the

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

, the group includes the

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

, and the

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 ...

s , , and . On 19 October 2023 ''Carney'' intercepted three

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 and eight drones launched by the Houthi militants in Yemen. While the real targets of the cruise missiles and drones were uncertain, the missiles and drones were shot down by ''Carney'' as the missiles and the drones were headed north along the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...

in the direction of Israel during the

2023 Israel–Hamas war } The ongoing armed conflict between Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups and Israel military forces began on 7 October 2023, 50 years after the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Hamas's coordinated surprise offensive, codenamed "Al-Aqsa Fl ...

. Reports showed that ''Carney'' actually encountered a larger and more sustained barrage than was previously known on that day after it shot down four cruise missiles and 15 drones over a period of nine hours. On 8 November 2023 an American

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 ...

was shot down off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea by Houthi forces. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary

Sabrina Singh Sabrina Singh (born 1988) is an American administrator who has served as the Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary in the Department of Defense since April 2022. Singh previously served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary ...

later stated in a press conference that the Houthis later attempted to recover the drone but that the

Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simpl ...

believed that they would be unable to recover anything of significance and that

U.S. forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

were not looking to recover it themselves. On 22 November 2023 ''Thomas Hudner'' shot down multiple drones launched by Houthi groups. On 26 November 2023 Houthi forces tried to seize an Israeli-affiliated ship near the coast of Yemen. On 3 December 2023 ''Carney'' and civilian-owned commercial ships were attacked in international waters in the southern Red Sea, with anti-ship

ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...

s fired from Yemen by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Missiles struck three commercial ships, while ''Carney'' shot down three drones in self-defense during the hours-long assault. The

United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...

said: "We ... have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. On 7 December 2023 the US announced it would impose sanctions on 13 individuals and entities whom it claimed are funding the Houthis. On 14 December 2023 Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Defense Minister of Iran, said that any naval coalition formed by the US would face major problems. On 16 December 2023, while operating in the Red Sea, ''Carney'' successfully shot down a barrage of 14 unmanned aerial system (UAS) one-way attack drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Also on 16 December, Hong Kong shipping company

OOCL Orient Overseas Container Line, commonly known as OOCL, is a container shipping and logistics service company with headquarters in Hong Kong. The company is incorporated in Hong Kong as Orient Overseas Container Line Limited and separately inc ...

announced that it had suspended its shipments in and out of Israel, due to the surging threat of attack on commercial ships while traversing the Red Sea. On 19 December 2023 US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the US had formed a coalition of ten nations who would send ships to assist in fighting against attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. On 21 December 2023, Defence Minister of Greece Nikos Dendias announced in a televised address that Greece will join the US-led coalition. On 21 December 2023, the US announced that more than twenty countries have joined the coalition. On 25 December 2023, the US carried out air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq. On 26 December 2023, the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...

sent the destroyers INS ''Kochi'' and ''Kolkata'' 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 ...

, in response to an attack on a cargo vessel near the coast of India. On 28 December 2023, sanctions were imposed upon several entities by the

US Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

Office of Foreign Assets Control The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the U.S. Treasury Department. It administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions in support of U.S. national security and foreign policy ob ...

, which said that these entities had helped to convey financial aid from Iran to Houthi forces located in the region of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. On 31 December 2023, the

container ship A container ship (also called boxship or spelled containership) is a cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. Container ships are a common means of commercial intermodal ...

issued distress call after coming under attack from four Iran-backed small Houthi ships. Several shots were fired at the ''Maersk Hangzhou'' and attempts to

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ty ...

were made. However, a contracted security team aboard the container ship returned fire and defended ''Maersk Hangzhou''.The aircraft carrier and destroyer responded to the distress call as part of

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–Hama ...

. Verbal commands were issued to the four small ships, and helicopters from the ''Dwight D. Eisenhower'' were dispatched. After taking small arms fire, US Navy helicopters returned fire, sinking three of the small ships. There was no damage to US equipment or personnel. On 10 January 2024, the UK defence secretary stated that UK and US naval forces pushed back the largest attack to date from Houthi rebels. On 12 January 2024, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said that if Yemen is attacked by the US and UK, "we will attack the Americans' base with everything in our power". This attack was the beginning of .

Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean 2023–2024

The following tables largely cover the ''maritime'' engagements of the Iranian-backed Houthi militants in support of the

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...

-led coalition in the

, and of the Palestinian cause more generally.

November–December 2023

File:USS Carney engages Houthi missiles 2.jpg, Prologue: engages wave of 14 Israel-bound Houthi missiles, 19 October 2023 File:Car_carrier_Galaxy_Leader.jpg, in

Bremerhaven, Germany Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...

, December 2006 File:The French navy frigate FS Languedoc (D653), front, sails alongside USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Mediterranean Sea. (51080966828) (cropped).jpg, The alongside the aircraft carrier , Mediterranean Sea, March 2021 File:Ardmore Encounter (ship, 2014) IMO 9654579, Port of Amsterdam.jpg, ''Ardmore Encounter'',

Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban are ...

, July 2018 File:Algeciras Iii (27249989).jpeg, ''Maersk Gibraltar'',

Algeciras, Spain Algeciras ( , ) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algecira ...

, May 2011 File:Al Jasrah in port of Le Havre (France) 2019.jpg, ''Al Jasrah'', Le Havre, France, July 2019 File:Navire conteneur MSC PALATIUM III à quai au port.jpg, ''MSC Palatium III'', Casablanca, Morocco, January 2023 File:MSC CLARA , MULTRATUG 5 & MERCURIUS (27248932273).jpg, ''MSC Clara'', Rotterdam, Netherlands, June 2016 File:ICGS Vikram, commissioned in 2018, from Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel (2017).jpg, , India, 2017

January 2024

File:USS_Florida_(SSGN-728).jpg, , Cumberland Sound, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, April 2006 File:US Navy 100209-N-4774B-016 The guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) pulls alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) during a refueling-at-sea.jpg, USS ''Laboon'', Southern Seas 2010, February 2010 File:Zografia (ship, 2002) in de Mercuriushaven, Port of Amsterdam pic1.JPG, ''Zografia'', Port of Amerstam, June 2019 File:Visakhapatnam_(D66)_-_P15B_destroyer_of_Indian_Navy.jpg, INS ''Visakhapatnam'', 30 October 2021 File:Gravely Visits Greece 130611-N-MO201-035.jpg, USS ''Gravely'' on a scheduled port visit to Greece, June 2013 File:Maersk Detroit p3, leaving Port of Rotterdam, Holland 10-Aug-2005.jpg, ''Maersk Detroit'', Port of Rotterdam, August 2005

February 2024

File:Navire IKARIA ISLAND au port.jpg, MV Rubymar in port in 2020 (then under name Ikaria Island) File:MV_Rubymar_oil_spill.jpg, Initial Rubymar

oil spill An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...

and drift northwards. File:MV Rubymar sinks in the Red Sea on 2 March 2024.jpg, MV Rubymar sinks in the Red Sea on 2 March 2024.

March 2024

April 2024

May 2024

On 3 May 2024, the Houthi-aligned Yemeni Armed Forces SPC military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced the expansion of their campaign to the targeting of ships in the eastern Mediterranean bound for Israel. in a televised speech, Saree stated that "We will target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea in any area we are able to reach".https://maritime-executive.com/article/houthis-escalate-threats-against-shipping-launching-fourth-stage

References

{{Red Sea crisis * Timelines of 21st-century military conflicts 2020s timelines