Central Command announced that its latest strikes targeted two missiles that posed an immediate threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region, Central Command said. These weapons resembled those that hit Genco Picardy which led many shipping companies to avoid its vicinity in favor of taking longer routes around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
14 Strikes Against Houthi Missiles
On Tuesday, Houthi forces fired a missile at a Malta-flagged bulk carrier operating in international waters of the Red Sea; no injuries or damages were reported, and its voyage continued unimpeded.
White House National Security Advisor John Kirby announced Thursday that 14 strikes had been conducted against Houthi missiles that “presented an immediate threat” to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships operating nearby, according to John Kirby of the White House National Security Adviser Office.
Attacks have forced some major shipping firms to alter their routes. The Red Sea serves as a vital link between Europe and Asia, carrying 15% of global shipping traffic, but taking an alternative route around Africa adds time and costs more for shippers. US warplanes struck two suspected anti-ship missile launchers in Yemen Thursday according to Central Command; images analyzed by AP showed components similar to Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles used against commercial vessels during previous attacks.
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
Houthi missile attacks against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have increased as tensions between Iran-backed rebels and Yemen’s internationally recognized government teeter on the brink of full-scale war. According to reports, Houthis claim their attacks are targeted against ships affiliated with Israel; leading major shipping companies to avoid this area by opting for longer routes around Africa instead.
On Tuesday, a Malta-flagged bulk carrier was struck by a Houthi missile but did not sustain any injuries; according to CENTCOM it continued its journey under Marshall Islands flag and continued operating normally.
United States military strikes have targeted 14 Houthi sites linked to attacking international shipping lanes over the past week, according to a CENTCOM statement released Thursday evening. They targeted four anti-ship ballistic missiles which presented an imminent threat against merchant ships and US Navy vessels CENTCOM added.
Houthi locations
On Friday night, US military airstrikes targeted Houthi locations in Yemen in response to over 30 attacks on commercial shipping in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, according to a Pentagon statement. US Central Command announced in its statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). These strikes destroyed two Houthi ballistic missiles which threatened international shipping vessels; these missiles had been fired directly at commercial vessels by their launcher aimed directly at commercial vessels from Houthi positions located within Yemen itself, according to US Central Command’s statement posted via X (formerly Twitter).
The Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite rebel movement, have attacked Israeli merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, disrupting vital global shipping routes. The US has warned the Houthis against such attacks and this week reclassified them as Specially Designated Global Terrorists; this designation had been lifted under President Donald Trump but reinstated under Biden’s administration who have intensified warnings and strikes this week against them.
CENTCOM
On Thursday, the United States launched airstrikes against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen even as President Joe Biden acknowledged that American and British airstrikes had failed to thwart Iran-backed rebel attacks on commercial ships. US Central Command released a statement declaring their strike had destroyed two anti-ship missiles that posed an immediate threat to merchant ships as well as US navy vessels operating nearby.
CENTCOM has confirmed that an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by Houthis struck Maltese flagged bulk carrier Zografia in the southern Red Sea with a “direct hit.” According to reports, this caused damage to its gangway and limited flooding of its hull; however, this did not hinder its red sea transit journey as Genco, which operates the vessel stated.
US and UK warships and aircraft began an intensive operation Friday targeting more than 14 suspected missile launchers used to launch attacks against international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden. US President Trump is widely expected to declare this week that Houthis are global terrorists, leading to additional sanctions that aim to cut violent extremists off from sources of funding while providing essential aid and commercial goods to impoverished Yemenis.
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