Another Ship Attacked by Houthi Rebels in the Red Sea

A ship traveling in the Red Sea reported on Thursday, July 7, that it had come under attack. The location and nature of the attack suggest that this is another instance of assaults by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen on vessels navigating international shipping routes. The private maritime security company 'Ambrey,' which was the first source to report this news, stated that the vessel had communicated via phone from waters near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah that it had been attacked, and a warship in the Red Sea responded to the assault. There is currently no precise information regarding potential casualties from this attack or damage to the ship. The British Armed Forces' commercial maritime operations center also confirmed the attack and stated that responsible authorities in the region are investigating the incident. The Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for this attack. This group typically announces responsibility several hours or even days after the attacks. The Houthis claim to have targeted the 'MSC Sara' ship in the Arabian Sea. Over the past eight months since the Houthis began attacking international shipping routes, more than 60 vessels have been targeted by missiles and drones, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. This group has seized one ship and sunk two others. A coalition of Western countries led by the United States has been attacking Houthi positions in Yemen since last December. The Houthis claim that in the latest wave of attacks by the international coalition in early June, at least 16 people were killed and 42 injured. They state that their attacks, conducted in support of the Palestinians, will continue until a ceasefire is established in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis assert that they only target vessels associated with Israel, the United States, and Britain. However, many of the ships that have been attacked had no connection to Israel or its military operations in Gaza, and some were even destined for Iran. Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, accepted responsibility for the attack on a bulk carrier owned by a Greek company sailing under the Liberian flag named 'MSC Sara-5' on the evening of July 5. On Wednesday, the Houthis also claimed that they used a new ballistic and hypersonic missile in this attack, capable of targeting ships from much farther distances than the areas controlled by this group in Yemen. Most of the Houthi attacks have occurred in the Gulf of Aden, but in a few cases, vessels traveling farther from this area in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean have also been targeted. Simultaneously, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that in the latest attacks on Yemen, a Houthi radar facility was destroyed. Another attack occurred in the Gulf of Aden on July 6, which is suspected to have been carried out by the Houthis, but the group has not yet claimed responsibility for it.