Iranian ship ignores distress call from ship struck by Houthis "This continued malign and reckless behavior by the #Iranian-backed #Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," said U.S. Central Command. There are Good Samaritans, and then, as the Iranian warship IRIN Jamaran demonstrated on Saturday, there are Bad Samaritans. The Iranian frigate was some eight nautical miles from the M/V Verbena—a Ukrainian-owned and Polish-operated cargo carrier flagged in Palau—that was struck with two missiles by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists on June 13. On Saturday, the crew issued a distress call and said it was abandoning ship. “M/V Anna Meta responded to render assistance. Anna Meta has recovered the mariners and is transporting them to safety. The crew abandoned ship due to continued fires and an inability to control them,” stated U.S. Central Command. “The Iranian frigate IRIN Jamaran was eight nautical miles from M/V Verbena and did not respond to the distress call,” CENTCOM said. “This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.” “CENTCOM will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities,” it added. “The Islamic Republic of Iran and its terrorist proxies in Yemen, the Houthis, are literally pirates,” wrote Israel Nitzan, former acting consul general of Israel in New York. “They pose a threat to international commerce, peace and security. They must be stopped.”

Yemen’s Houthis Announce Attacks On Three American, Israeli Vessels The #Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen announced on April 24 that they had targeted two United States ships in the Gulf of #Aden and an Israeli ship in the Indian Ocean. “In support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and in response to the American-British aggression against our country , our naval forces carried out a military operation targeting the American ship MAERSK YORKTOWN in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of suitable naval missiles, and the hit was accurate,” Houthi military spokesman Brigade General Yahya Sarea said in a statement. “We also carried out other two military operations using bomb-laden drones, one of which targeted an American warship in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of drones, and the other operation targeted the Israeli ship MSC VERACRUZ in the Indian Ocean with a number of drones. Both operations achieved their goals successfully,” he added without specifying the date of those attacks. The spokesman went on to warn that the Houthis “will continue to prevent Israeli ships or any ship heading to #Israel from transiting the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean until the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people in Gaza is stopped and the siege is lifted,”, vowing that the group would take more actions in the coming days. Earlier in the day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a detachment of the Royal Navy, reported an explosion near a ship in the Gulf of Aden, which it said caused no damage or casualties. The U.S. Central Command (#CENTCOM) said on April 25 that an allied vessel successfully engaged one anti-ship ballistic missile that was launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden a day earlier.

Houthis claim responsibility for attacks on U.S., British vessels in Red Sea, Gulf of Aden #Houthis from #Yemen's rebel Ansar Allah movement have staged four operations against US and British vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea over the past 72 hours, the movement’s military spokesperson Yahya #Sarea said. "The naval and missile forces conducted four joint operations against four ships, including the American Maersk Saratoga in the Gulf of Aden and the APL Detroit in the Red Sea, and the British Huang Pu and Pretty Lady in the Red Sea," he said in a statement posted on his Telegram channel. In all, according to Sarea, "six military operations with the use of a large number of ballistic missiles and drones were conducted in the past 72 hours." In particular, the Houthi missile forces hit a number of targets in the city of Eilat in southern Israel. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a high-ranking Ansar Allah representative, said on Monday that since the beginning of the current escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Houthis have conducted a total of 38 military operations in the Red and Arabian seas, as well as in the Indian Ocean.

Possible reasons why the Houthis have reduced the intensity of attacks on ships in the Red Sea The intensity of Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has decreased slightly. The last large vessel attacked was the tanker MADO, transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG), which was not seriously damaged and continued on its way. Last week, the Financial Times reported on secret negotiations between Washington and Tehran. According to him, the United States is trying to influence the Yemeni Houthis not only militarily, but also diplomatically. In January, the White House held secret talks with Iran to persuade the Islamic Republic to influence Yemeni rebels to stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Iran did not deny the fact of the meeting, but emphasized that the negotiations were about something completely different. Islamic Republic authorities claim that "resistance groups in the region do not receive instructions" from Tehran. However, the facts suggest that the Iranians still have considerable influence over their proxy forces. The American administration, for its part, allegedly agreed to lift a number of sanctions from Iran, which will allow the release of $10 billion. This is the price to pay for stopping the Houthi attacks. Whether this information is a hoax with the aim of discrediting the Ansar Allah movement or, conversely, to raise its status, will become clear in the coming days. It is important to monitor the Houthis' actions over time. Since October 2023, they have carried out more than 100 attacks in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, affecting 15 merchant ships, including four American ones.

Iranian spy ships behind the Houthi's deadly attacks on vessels Over the past few days, the Yemeni Houthis have increased their attacks on ships sailing in the Red Sea. However, the Houthis' largest attack on an international waterway occurred on Saturday, when the US military revealed the downing of 32 drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthis at targets in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Which put the spotlight back on Iran's indirect role in these attacks. The Yemeni Minister of Information, Muammar al-Ariani, confirmed yesterday evening that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) established a sea and land bridge to provide the Houthis with precision weapons that it uses in its attacks in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden, through special smuggling networks that use ships. A former U.S. Army officer said the precision strikes by the Houthis indicated a possible Iranian role. David de Roches, a former U.S. Army colonel and also a lecturer at the Center for Strategic Studies for the Near East and South Asia at the National Defense University in Washington, hinted at a possible role of The Iranian ship "Bashad" in an attack a few days ago on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, according to the Arab World News Agency. "In my estimation and everyone's estimation, the Iranian intelligence ship - "Bahshad" provides attack data to the Houthi missiles and this is what makes them accurate and deadly" - he added.

#MSC Boxship Catches Fire After #Houthi Missile Strike Yemen's Houthi rebels have hit another merchant ship and sparked a fire with a missile strike in the Gulf of Aden, according to two UK security consultancies. Ambrey and Vanguard Tech both report that the sub-Panamax boxship MSC Sky II has been hit by a missile and has caught fire. The master of MSC Sky II reports that the attack involved two missiles: the first went into the water off the vessel's port quarter, and the second reportedly struck the ship's accommodations block. No injuries were reported, but the impact started a fire, and the crew were engaged in firefighting as of Monday afternoon. In an update late in the day, U.S. Central Command reported that the MSC Sky did not request assistance and continued on its voyage. MSC vessels have been targeted multiple times since the beginning of Houthi hostilities last fall. Houthi militants attacked MSC Palatium III with a ballistic missile in mid-December; MSC United VIII was attacked in the Red Sea about 10 days later; and MSC Silver II was targeted last month. None of these previous attacks were successful, though the Houthis have caused considerable harm to other owners' vessels. MSC had previously indicated that it would suspend Red Sea operations due to the security risk.

#Container vessel receives damage after attack off #Yemeni coast A container vessel was attacked southeast of the Yemeni port city of Aden, Reuters reported, citing Ambrey, a UK-based maritime security company. According to the news agency, one of the containers aboard the vessel and the crew’s room were damaged. The attack was followed by a fire. No information about casualties is immediately available. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, #UKMTO, reported that another ship had been attacked off the Yemeni coast, 91 nautical miles southeast of Aden.

US, UK pummel #Houthi sites across #Yemen as Red Sea attacks escalate In 4th joint operation, fighter jets hit 18 targets in 8 locations; Iran-backed rebels denounce ‘US-British aggression’ while Washington admits Houthis yet to be deterred The US and Britain struck 18 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, answering a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed rebel group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including a missile strike this past week that set fire to a cargo vessel. According to US officials, American and British fighter jets hit sites in eight locations, targeting missiles, launchers, rockets, drones, and air defense systems. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to provide early details of an ongoing military operation. This is the fourth time that the US and British militaries have conducted a combined operation against the Houthis since January 12. But the US has also been carrying out almost daily strikes to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles and drones aimed at ships, as well as weapons that were prepared to launch. The US F/A-18 fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, which is currently in the Red Sea, officials said. “The United States will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks.”

British vessel sinks in Gulf of Aden after Houthi attack, reports Sky News Arabia TV The Rubymar, a British ship attacked by Houthi rebels from the Yemen-based Ansar Allah movement while navigating the Gulf of Aden, has now sunk, Sky News Arabia television reported, citing Yemeni sources. The TV channel did not disclose any other details of the incident. Earlier, the Houthis announced they had delivered a missile strike on the Rubymar. Ansar Allah representative Yahya Saria published a corresponding statement on his Telegram channel. According to the rebels' claim, the vessel suffered serious damage and stopped moving. The Houthis acknowledged that the Rubymar may be at risk of sinking.

U.S. Navy warship shoots down Iranian drones, Houthi missiles, over Gulf of Ade The USS Carney shot down three Iranian drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile Wednesday launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The Houthi missile was headed toward the Gulf of Aden at about 8:30 p.m. local time. Forty minutes later, the USS Carney shot down three Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) nearby. The U.S. Central Command said there were no injuries or damage reported. The attack comes amid an uptick in tensions in the region. Houthis have been targeting commercial ships and vessels in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. forces to respond with a series of precision strikes. The Houthis say the attacks, which began in November, are intended to protest the Israel-Hamas war in the region, but many of the recent attacks have no clear ties to Israel. As a result, shipping companies have been forced to find alternative shipping routes, driving up oil prices and delaying the delivery of goods, raising concerns about the effect on the global economy. U.S. officials said earlier this week that U.S. troops have come under fire from Iranian-backed groups more than 160 times since late October. The attack also comes just a few days after three U.S. service members were killed and about 40 others injured in a deadly drone strike in Jordan Sunday. Biden has pledged to respond to the attack in a “time and manner of our choosing,” but he has also made clear he does not seek a larger war.