The U.S. Reports Downing of 14 Houthi Attack Drones

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a statement that the guided-missile destroyer 'Carney' shot down 14 drones launched by Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea on Saturday morning, December 16. According to the statement, these drones were offensive and one-way, and were downed without causing any damage to vessels present in the area. At the same time, Britain also announced that one of its warships had shot down a suspicious attack drone that intended to target commercial vessels. Houthis, supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, have increased their missile and drone attacks against vessels passing through the Red Sea and Israel in recent weeks, and in their latest attack, they targeted the port city of Eilat on the Red Sea coast in solidarity with Hamas. The Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen, have vowed to continue their attacks until Israeli operations against Hamas cease. On Friday, Houthi fighters claimed they were only targeting vessels destined for Israel. However, data from the Marine Tracker company, which monitors global shipping, indicates that some of the vessels attacked by the Houthis were headed for the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) announced on Saturday that it would change the routes of some of its vessels from the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Canal to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, which will increase the travel time for ships booked to pass through the Suez Canal. A spokesperson for the Danish shipping company Maersk also told Reuters on Friday that the company would suspend all container shipping operations through the Red Sea until further notice. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is considered one of the most important waterways in the world, serving as a passage for oil and fuel ships from the Persian Gulf to the West, as well as for vessels carrying Western goods and Russian oil to East Asia. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the width of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at its narrowest point is only 29 kilometers, and nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea and $1 trillion worth of goods pass through it annually. The increase in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea could lead to tens of thousands of dollars in increased insurance premiums for vessels passing through the area. The Pentagon has ordered the U.S. aircraft carrier to remain in the eastern Mediterranean near Israel. Houthi missile attacks in the Red Sea have set a Liberian-flagged ship on fire, and the Houthis have also targeted a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. A U.S. official stated that Washington is seeking to form the 'widest possible' maritime coalition to counter Houthi attacks. Two missiles were fired at a tanker in the Red Sea from Houthi-controlled territory. The Houthis have threatened that they will target all vessels destined for Israel. The U.S. is looking to provide more support for commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and Bloomberg reported that the United States is considering military options to counter the Houthis in Yemen.