Two More Ships Targeted in the Red Sea in Attacks 'Attributable to Houthis'

Some sources have reported at least three attacks on passing ships in the Red Sea, attributing them to Houthi militants from Yemen, who are supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Associated Press reported that, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center and the private security company Ambrey, the attacks on Tuesday, August 23, are part of a series of Houthi assaults following the Israel-Gaza conflict. In the first attack, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center stated that an explosion occurred near a ship, followed by another explosion after a small boat approached the vessel. According to the report, the attack took place about 115 kilometers south of the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah, and the private security company Ambrey also confirmed the occurrence of two 'nearby explosions' to the ship. The second attack occurred hours later, approximately 180 kilometers northwest of Hodeidah, where another explosion was observed near a ship. Although the Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for these attacks, the Associated Press noted that in previous instances, it has sometimes taken hours or even days for them to confirm their attacks. These attacks come as the Iranian government, the main supporter of the Houthis, continues to consider the possibility of a retaliatory strike against Israel following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran; a situation that has raised concerns about the potential for a wider war in the Middle East. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza last October, the Houthis have targeted over 70 ships with missiles and drones, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. They have also seized one ship and sunk two others. Other Houthi missiles and drones have either been intercepted by the US-led coalition in the Red Sea or have fallen before reaching their targets. The Houthi attacks on commercial ships have disrupted the movement of goods worth one trillion dollars that pass through this maritime trade route between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East annually. These attacks have also led to the most intense naval battles the US Navy has witnessed since World War II. The insurgents claim that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the US, or the UK, aiming to pressure for an end to the Gaza war. However, many of the targeted ships have little or no connection to the parties involved in this conflict, and some were even bound for Iran. Concurrently, as threats from the Islamic Republic to attack Israel escalate, the US military has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group to move more quickly toward the region. The US has also sent the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia to the Middle East, while the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier group has already been stationed in the Gulf of Oman. According to the latest reports, F-22 fighter jets have also been deployed to the region, and the large amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, carrying F-35 fighter jets, is present in the Mediterranean Sea.