Two ships were attacked by suspected Yemen Houthi rebel drones in Middle East waters early on Tuesday, according to authorities. These attacks are the latest in a series targeting vessels amid tensions over Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The first incident occurred in the southern part of the Red Sea, near the Yemeni port of Hodeida. A projectile caused minor damage to the windows on the bridge of the vessel, as reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. Prior to the attack, a small vessel had been observed nearby.
The targeted vessel was identified by the private security firm Ambrey as a Barbados-flagged cargo ship owned by the United Kingdom. Fortunately, no injuries were reported onboard.
Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Suspected of Drone Attacks on Two Additional Ships in Middle Eastern Waters (Credits: CBS Austin)
Later on Tuesday, a second ship was attacked off the southern port city of Aden in Yemen, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. This vessel, identified by Ambrey as a Marshall Islands-flagged ship owned by a Greek company, reported an explosion near its starboard side. Thankfully, there were no injuries or damage reported.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, claimed responsibility for attacking two separate vessels in the Red Sea, one American and one British. However, he provided no evidence to support this claim.
The Morning Tide, one of the ships the Houthis claimed to have attacked, matches the details provided by Ambrey and was tracked in the Red Sea near the reported attack. The owner of the Morning Tide, British firm Furadino Shipping, confirmed that no one was injured, and the vessel continued its journey to Singapore.
These attacks come amid ongoing tensions between the Houthis and vessels in the Red Sea, largely related to Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza. The Houthis have targeted ships with unclear or minimal connections to Israel, posing a threat to trade routes linking Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Recent airstrikes by the United States and the United Kingdom, supported by allies, have targeted Houthi missile arsenals and launch sites in Yemen. Additionally, a separate air assault in Iraq and Syria targeted Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in response to a drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan.
The U.S. military’s Central Command acknowledged an attack on the Houthis, describing it as targeting two Houthi drone boats loaded with explosives. According to the military, these actions aim to protect freedom of navigation and ensure the safety of vessels in international waters.
