CENTCOM: Iranian-backed Houthis launched a missile attack on a US-owned ship

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from areas under their control in Yemen, targeting a container ship registered under the Marshall Islands and owned by the United States. CENTCOM stated on Monday, January 15, that there were no reported casualties or significant damage from the attack, which occurred at 4 PM local time in Yemen, and the ship continued on its course. CENTCOM also reported that earlier that day, around 2 PM local time, US forces intercepted an anti-ship ballistic missile that was fired towards commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea. This missile malfunctioned in flight and crashed on land in Yemen, with no casualties or damage reported. Meanwhile, the Associated Press quoted officials saying that on Sunday, the Houthis fired a cruise missile at an American destroyer in the Red Sea, but an American fighter jet shot it down. The missile attack on Sunday was the first confirmed attack by the Houthis following the onset of coalition airstrikes led by the United States against Houthi positions in Yemen. According to the report, the missile was launched from near the port city of Hodeidah in Yemen, which is under Houthi control. CENTCOM stated, 'A cruise missile was fired from areas controlled by Iranian-backed Houthis towards the USS Laboon. No casualties or damage have been reported.' On Saturday, US forces attacked Houthi radar sites in Yemen. On Friday, January 20, Britain and the United States, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, attacked dozens of Houthi positions in various regions of Yemen. In these airstrikes, 28 Houthi positions were targeted, and over 60 targets were struck with cruise missiles, bombings by fighter jets, warships, and a submarine. The United States stated that the attacked sites included weapon depots, radars, and command centers, including in remote mountainous areas. The US Navy warned on Friday that US-flagged vessels should avoid the areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for 72 hours following the initial airstrikes. The British Foreign Secretary warned the Houthis on Saturday, January 21, that if they threaten free navigation in the Red Sea, London will attack the group's targets in that country. David Cameron, in a note published in the British newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph,' emphasized that London will always defend freedom of navigation and added, 'We will be ready to support our words with actions.' The British Foreign Secretary warned of the consequences of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, stating that this would lead to rising prices in Britain and globally. A review of reactions to US and British attacks on Houthi positions in Yemen: The UK Maritime Security Organization reported that the Houthis mistakenly targeted a tanker carrying Russian oil. The Houthis claim that 11 militants were killed and injured in the US and British attacks. The US Air Force stated that 60 military targets of the Houthis in Yemen were attacked. The CENTCOM commander stated that the Houthis and their Iranian supporters are responsible for illegal attacks in the region. The Associated Press reported that concerns are rising over the onset of a 'full-scale war' in the region. A global container shipping giant warned its customers about a potential 'major disruption.'