Houthis Claim Attack on Two Ships in the Red Sea

On Friday, June 8, the spokesperson for the Houthis claimed that this Iran-aligned group attacked two ships in the Red Sea. According to Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Houthis, the ships 'Al-Bala' and 'Al-Genoa' were targeted by several drones and ballistic and naval missiles. He did not specify the exact timing of these attacks. Independent sources have not yet been able to confirm the Houthis' claims. This claim comes amid reports of the detention of at least 15 Yemeni employees working for international organizations, including the United Nations, by this Iran-backed militia. According to three officials from the legitimate Yemeni government, Houthi intelligence agents detained nine UN staff members, three employees from the American organization 'National Democratic Institute', and three employees from a local human rights organization on Thursday. On the same day, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) destroyed eight drones and two unmanned vessels belonging to the Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea. Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, and major northern regions of the country have been under the control of the Iran-supported Houthis since the outbreak of the civil war in September 2014. In contrast, the legitimate Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia, controls the southern regions of the country. The bloody war between the Houthis and the legitimate Yemeni government has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, the Houthis, as one of the main proxy groups of the Islamic Republic in the region, have disrupted global shipping by attacking commercial ships passing through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. These attacks have prompted responses from the United States and Britain, which have targeted Houthi military positions in Yemen. Israel rejected the Houthis' claims regarding attacks on ships in Haifa port. The Houthis unveiled a missile similar to Iran's 'hypersonic missile'. Hezbollah's attacks on northern Israel; the Houthis also claimed to have targeted the port of Eilat. The Houthis claimed to have conducted six operations in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Tensions with the Houthis have escalated; the U.S. extended the mission of its aircraft carrier strike group. A news agency close to the IRGC reported that the Islamic Republic provided 'anti-ship ballistic missiles' to the Houthis.