On Monday, the Houthis in Yemen, aligned with Iran, claimed responsibility for targeting a cargo ship in the Red Sea, marking the latest in a series of strikes disrupting shipping in this crucial strait. The named vessel, according to the group, was the Star Iris, with their military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stating that an anti-ship ballistic missile successfully struck it. The projectile damaged the ship, and a fire broke out on the deck, he said, according to a statement carried by Saba. The ship was sailing to the Indian Ocean port of Aden and had a crew of seven. Its owners didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The US Central Command said the missile failed mid-flight and landed on land in Yemen. There were no injuries or significant damage. It was the second time in a week that the United States and Britain have launched airstrikes targeting the Houthis, which control most of Yemen. Both sides have threatened fierce retaliation, and the attacks raise the prospect of a broader conflict in a region already beset by Israel’s war on Hamas militants in Gaza.
Houthi spokesman Saree, in a televised statement, said the United States and the UK are trying to turn the Red Sea into “a battlefield of missiles, drones and warships.” He added that all ships in the area are considered hostile targets. He also denied that the Houthis were being supplied with weapons despite physical evidence and expert analyses linking Tehran to the rebels.
A series of strikes on commercial shipping in the Red Sea has roiled global trade, imperiling a vital transit route for oil and other cargo shipments. The Houthis have claimed to be retaliating for Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Still, their attacks on merchant ships are also undermining Yemen’s fragile economy and raising the risk of civil war.
Most of the ships attacked by the Houthis have been Israeli-linked. Still, the group has also attacked vessels with tenuous or no apparent connection to Israel, imperiling a critical international trade corridor. Major shipping companies have started rerouting vessels around Africa to avoid the Red Sea, lengthening journeys and adding costs.
The Yemeni government, supported by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other regional allies, seeks to restore its authority. But the Houthis, who are boycotting a UN-backed peace conference, say they won’t accept any deal that doesn’t give them full sovereignty in the capital, Sanaa. The US has warned that the Houthis will face consequences for their continued attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait—the Houthis control much of the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country, including its capital, Sanaa. The UAE has been a main backer of the US-backed efforts to reach a compromise. The United States and the UK have vowed to continue their airstrikes against the rebels, and President Joe Biden says the Obama administration will consider further action if there are further attacks on Red Sea shipping.
