Iran-backed Houthis Suspected of Attacking Another Ship in the Gulf of Aden

In the latest attack attributed to Yemen's Houthi rebels, a ship was targeted in the vital maritime trade route of the Gulf of Aden. The explosion occurred at the farthest point of the waterway, which had previously been targeted by these rebels supported by the Islamic Republic. The British Navy's Maritime Trade Operations Center announced on Tuesday, July 9, that the captain of the ship reported an explosion near the vessel off the coast of Nashiton, Yemen, near the border with Oman. This organization warned sailors that all crew members of the ship, whose name and flag have not been disclosed, are safe. The Associated Press reports that no explanation has been provided regarding the cause of the explosion; although the Houthis have repeatedly used drones, missiles, and bomb-laden drone boats. The Houthi rebels have not commented on this attack. It may take days for them to confirm the execution of an attack. The last Houthi attack in the region occurred on June 27. Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted over 60 ships in this vital commercial waterway with missile and drone attacks. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of four sailors. They have also seized one ship and sunk two others. The rebels claim that U.S.-led airstrikes have targeted the Houthis since January. In an attack on May 30, at least 16 people were killed and 42 others injured. The Houthis claim they are targeting ships linked to Israel, the U.S., and the U.K. in support of the Hamas militia in the war against Israel. However, many of the ships targeted by the Houthis have little connection to the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to the Joint Maritime Information Center, on July 7, five missiles landed near a Liberian-flagged tanker named Delinox while it was moving off the coast of the port city of Hodeidah. The next day, the Houthi military spokesman, General Yahya Saree, stated that the group was responsible for two attacks on ships in the Red Sea. On July 6, a Maltese-flagged bulk carrier traveling from the Red Sea reported being hit in an attack carried out by the rebel group. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern on Tuesday about the health of 13 UN staff and other aid workers detained by the Houthi rebels and called for their immediate release. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 13 UN staff and several non-governmental workers have been detained by 'Ansar Allah' officials in Yemen for over a month, and access to them has not yet been granted. Claims of the involvement of Yemen's Houthis and 'Islamic Resistance of Iraq' in an attack on a 'vital target' in Haifa, Israel. The U.S. military destroyed a radar site of the Iran-backed Houthis. CENTCOM reported the destruction of seven drones and a Houthi ground control station. Iraqi militants targeted the port of Eilat in Israel; an attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim they used a 'new ballistic missile' in the attack on a cargo ship on Monday. The Houthi attack on a Greek ship; CENTCOM says damage to the ship and injuries to the crew are minor. Houthi militants claimed a drone attack on four ships in Haifa port. Another attack by Iran-backed Houthis on a ship in the Gulf of Aden. The U.S. military and coalition forces confronted Houthi militants; nine drones were destroyed. The U.S. sanctioned several Houthi arms supply networks.