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.

Houthis promise safe passage for Russian, Chinese ships in Red Sea, media reports Representatives of the Yemeni rebel Ansar Allah (#Houthis) movement have assured #Russia and #China that their ships can pass through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait without fear of attacks from the Houthis, Bloomberg said, citing sources. According to the agency, a relevant agreement was allegedly reached during talks between diplomats of the three countries, which took place in "Oman. Ansar #Allah spokesman Mohamed Abdel Salam headed the Houthi delegation.

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.

#Houthis damage four undersea #cables between #Europe, #Asia The Yemen-based Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement have damaged four international underwater cables in the Red Sea which connected Asia, Europe and Africa, Israel’s Globes newspaper reported. According to its information, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea damaged four submarine communication cables between Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti in East Africa. The attacks triggered "serious disruption of Internet communications between Europe and Asia, with the main damage being felt in the Gulf countries and India." According to experts, the damage is not critical because other cables are still functioning. The newspaper said that it may take at least two months to restore the damaged cables.

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.

Yemen’s #Houthis attack US ship in Red Sea Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked the Star Iris commercial vessel which the attackers have identified as belonging to the United States, Yahya Saria, spokesman for the rebel movement Ansar Allah, said. "#Yemen’s naval forces targeted the US ship Star Iris in the Red Sea with anti-ship missiles," Saria told Al Masirah television as he described the strikes as direct and accurate. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an unidentified merchant vessel came under attack 40 nautical miles south of the Yemeni port of Al-Mukha. According to UKMTO, two missiles were fired at the ship, but the crew was not injured. The Star Iris bulk carrier sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands departed from the Brazilian port of Vila do Conde for Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini exactly on this date a month ago, Marine Traffic said. The crew last reported their location from the central Red Sea earlier on Monday.

U.S. hits #Houthi surface vehicles, cruise missiles in #Yemen - #CENTCOM The U.S. military has carried out a series of strikes in Yemen on February 9, targeting unmanned surface vehicles and cruise missiles of Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. "On Feb. 9, between the hours of 3 a.m. - 9:40 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted self-defense strikes against two mobile unmanned surface vessels (USV), four mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, and one mobile land attack cruise missile (LACM) that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea," CENTCOM said in a statement posted on its X page. It was reported that the U.S. Central Command had identified the targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. CENTCOM decided that they "presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region." It said that "these actions will protect freedom of navigation."

EU agrees on military operation in Red Sea to safeguard shipping European Union countries have hammered out the details of the Aspides (Shields) military operation meant to ensure the security of commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the DPA news agency reported citing diplomatic sources. According to the agency, the official decision to launch the operation will be adopted at a meeting of foreign ministers on February 19 in Brussels. The decision adopted on Thursday laid out how the operation will be conducted and the location of its headquarters, which will be set up in the Greek city of Larissa. The EU's operational plan envisages sending European warships to the region to protect cargo ships from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Hessen frigate will take part in the operation from the Bundeswehr, the ship left the port of Wilhelmshaven to the Red Sea region on February 8. It has approximately 250 military personnel on board. Red Sea situation deteriorates despite West's efforts The security situation in the Red Sea continues to deteriorate despite the West's actions against the Ansar Allah rebels, Bloomberg reported. "We’ve not seen the level of threat peak, to the contrary," AP Moller-Maersk Chief Executive Officer Vincent Clerc told Bloomberg. "The amount or the range of weapons that are being used for these attacks is expanding and there is no clear line of sight to when and how the international community will be able to mobilize itself and guarantee safe passage for us," he added. According to Norden Chief Executive Officer Jan Rinbo, the situation in the Red Sea has not been stabilized. "That really is unprecedented," he said. "I’ve not in my 29 years in shipping seen anything like this," Rinbo added. According to the agency, one Japanese shipping company, Mitsui O. S. K. Lines, has already said it would change the routes of its ships for at least the next 2-3 months. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWKrZ7z7AjQ

#Houthis say they attacked U.S., UK ships in Red Sea Yemen's Houthi rebel movement Ansar Allah has attacked two vessels belonging to the U.S. and the UK in the Red Sea waters, the movement's spokesman, Yahya Saria, said. "The Yemeni navy conducted two military operations in the Red Sea, the first of which targeted the US vessel Star Nasia and the second [aimed at] the UK vessel Morning Tide," he told the Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV channel. Both ships were hit "directly and accurately" by anti-ship missiles, the spokesman added.