The Red Sea, a crucial maritime route for global trade, has become a flashpoint of conflict as Yemen’s Houthi rebels escalate their drone attacks against commercial shipping. In the latest incident, a Liberia-flagged container ship en route to Qingdao, China, was damaged by a drone strike off the coast of Hodeida, a port city under Houthi control. While the crew aboard the vessel reported safety, the British Maritime Trade Operations has yet to disclose the full extent of the damage.The US Central Command has actively responded by destroying three Houthi patrol boats in the Red Sea, refuting Houthi claims of a successful missile attack on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Moreover, the Houthis’ assertion of targeting the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Mediterranean has been denied by the US Navy. These developments follow over 60 previous attacks by the Houthis, which have included the seizure and sinking of vessels and have resulted in the deaths of at least four sailors.The ongoing aggression by the Houthis, who justify their actions as solidarity with Palestinians, has led to a significant decline in shipping traffic through the Red Sea. Major shipping companies, including Danish Maersk, have rerouted their ships around Africa to bypass the Suez Canal and avoid the heightened risks in the area. The US, leading a naval coalition, continues to enforce security in the region, which accounts for 12% of the world’s trade.
Key points
- Houthi rebels increase drone attacks in the Red Sea, damaging a Liberia-flagged container ship.
- US Central Command destroys Houthi boats and denies claims of attacks on US aircraft carriers.
- Shipping traffic in the Red Sea declines due to Houthi attacks, affecting global trade.
Contradictions👾The Houthis claim successful attacks on the USS Dwight D.
Eisenhower and the USS Theodore Roosevelt, but the US Navy denies these claims.
