The Houthis have been attacking shipping since November. (representative)
Dubai:
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they fired missiles at a “British ship” off the country’s coast on Thursday, the latest in a series of incidents disrupting global shipping.
The United States said on Thursday it had seized a shipment of Iranian weapons destined for Yemeni rebels, after two maritime security agencies reported an attack east of Aden in Yemen.
The seizure is part of a broader U.S. effort to counter Houthi attacks in the Gulf of Aden and key shipping lanes in the Red Sea, which have prompted retaliation from U.S. and British forces, including a new wave of attacks by the U.S. this week.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarri said on social media on Thursday that the rebels “carried out a military operation against a British ship transiting the Gulf of Aden” and claimed that the missile “directly” hit the ship.
Earlier, UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a “near explosion” on a ship east of Aden, Yemen. The ship is said to be safe and heading to its next port of call.
Security firm Ambre said a “bulk carrier was attacked with explosives while transiting east of Aden” without mentioning its nationality.
Projectiles exploded from the ship but did not hit it, Ambre said, adding that the attack caused only “minor damage as shrapnel hit the diesel generator pipes, causing a diesel leak.”
The Houthis, who control much of war-torn Yemen, have been attacking shipping since November in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during Israel’s war with Hamas.
Houthi attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour through southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which normally carries about 12% of global seaborne trade.
“Malignant activities”
The United States accuses Iran of encouraging the Houthis to attack commercial ships by providing drones, missiles and tactical intelligence, a charge Tehran denies.
The U.S. military said on Thursday that it “seized advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid from Iran destined for Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen from a ship in the Arabian Sea on January 28.”
U.S. Central Command said on social media that the shipment contained more than 200 packages containing missile components, explosives and other devices.
“This is yet another example of Iran’s malign activity in the region,” said Central Command Commander Michael Eric Kurilla.
He added: “They continue to provide advanced conventional weapons to the Houthis … and continue to undermine the security of international shipping and the free flow of commerce.”
Even before the Red Sea attack, the United States had attacked arms shipments to Yemen that it said were coming from Iran.
On January 16, it announced that it was seizing weapons provided by Iran for the first time since the Houthi attack.
The U.S. Navy boarded a ship bound for Yemen and seized Iranian-made missile components and other weapons, Central Command said, in an operation that left two commandos missing.
retaliatory strike
The weapons seizure follows a series of U.S. strikes on areas controlled by Houthi rebels in Yemen aimed at deterring further attacks.
On Thursday, the U.S. military said its “forces successfully conducted four self-defense strikes against seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, three mobile drones, and an explosive unmanned surface vessel.”
Central Command said the attack occurred between 1:00 and 7:30 pm (1000 and 1630 GMT) on Wednesday.
The Houthi-owned Saba news agency reported several attacks in the Red Sea coastal province of Hodeidah.
In a speech on Thursday, Yemeni rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Huthi accused the United States of launching about 40 attacks this week, most of them targeting Hodeidah.
He said such retaliatory attacks would not prevent his forces from attacking ships if Gaza failed to reach a ceasefire.
He also warned the EU not to get drawn into the confrontation, after member states last month gave initial support for a naval mission to protect ships from attack.
“European countries should not listen to the United States or Britain, nor should they get involved in things that have nothing to do with them or affect them,” the Houthi leader said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
