Continued Insecurity in the Red Sea by Houthi Militants Supported by the Iranian Government; Destruction of Several Drones and Missiles by the Coalition

The United States Central Command, CENTCOM, announced in two separate statements the destruction of a total of 17 drones and missiles belonging to Houthi terrorists supported by the Iranian government. According to the first statement, around 9:50 AM local time in Sanaa on Saturday, CENTCOM forces destroyed two anti-ship missiles mounted on a truck in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen during a defensive strike. The statement adds that around 3:55 PM, 'Houthi terrorists' fired two ballistic missiles from Yemen towards a bulk carrier flagged and owned by Singapore, named 'Propel Fortune', in the Gulf of Aden, which resulted in no financial damage or casualties. The British Maritime Trade Operations organization also confirmed the occurrence of two explosions near this Singaporean ship, adding that its crew is safe and the ship continues on its course. According to CENTCOM's second statement, from 4:00 to 6:30 AM local time in Sanaa on Saturday, 'Houthi terrorists' carried out a large-scale drone attack in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The statement adds that CENTCOM and coalition forces, after identifying the drones, determined that they posed an imminent threat to commercial ships as well as American and coalition vessels in the region. According to the statement, CENTCOM ships and aircraft, along with coalition forces, subsequently shot down 15 Houthi drones to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer. Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the Houthis, claimed in a televised speech that 37 drones were used in the attacks on Saturday in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The French military also announced that a warship and several fighter jets from France shot down four Houthi drones that were approaching the European coalition ships 'European Aspid'. The French military statement adds that this action directly helped protect a Barbados-flagged cargo ship named 'True Confidence' and other commercial vessels passing through the area. 'True Confidence' was targeted in an attack on Wednesday, March 7, and is now being towed. France, in addition to a warship, also has fighter jets stationed at its military bases in Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates. Houthi militants in Yemen, supported by the Islamic Republic, have repeatedly attacked international commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea with missiles and drones since early November under the pretext of supporting Palestinians. On Thursday, January 11, President Joe Biden ordered military forces to lead a coalition of countries including Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands for the first round of airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. The occurrence of 'two explosions' near a ship in the Gulf of Aden; no crew members were harmed. The commander of CENTCOM stated that the Islamic Republic has turned the Middle East into a 'center of crises'. The White House's reaction to the deaths of three crew members of a commercial ship: countries around the world must prevent Houthi attacks. The first deadly Houthi attack in the Red Sea; two sailors were killed. The U.S. sanctioned a network supported by the Quds Force involved in cargo operations for the Houthis. The Houthis continue to create insecurity in international waters; a recent attack by this group damaged a commercial ship. CENTCOM reported the destruction of four missiles, three drones, and three Houthi drones.