(RepublicanReport.org) – There’s a crisis in the Red Sea, one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Since shortly after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, Houthi rebels have been targeting ships in the region. The militant group uses drones and missiles to attack vessels, which has led to an avoidance of the area and a drastic increase in shipping costs across the globe. On Monday, July 15, the Houthis carried out another ambush, this time using two crewed small craft.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center, UKMTO, reported that Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted ships in two attacks on Monday. Instead of using just aerial drones, American and British authorities revealed that two of the vessels used in the ambush were crewed, the third was not. The ship in its crosshairs off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, was the MT Bently I, which is owned by Israel but displays a Panama flag. According to UKMTO, the ship “conducted self-protection measures, [and] after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack.”
The oil tanker MT Chios Lion also came under attack the same day, just hours later. This vessel belongs to the Marshall Islands and bears a Liberian flag. This time, Houthi rebels used an uncrewed aerial vehicle and managed to inflict some damage “on the port side” of the ship.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed both of the attacks took place. It also noted that US forces “destroyed five Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles” in an effort to keep the Red Sea safe. The latest attacks were a response to Israel’s latest airstrike on Khan Younis, a Gaza city, according to Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman.
In a televised speech, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, who leads the rebels, said the attacks continue to be an “embarrassment” for the US and President Joe Biden. He pointed to the departure of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, an aircraft carrier, from the Red Sea as proof. However, the vessel was simply concluding its mission in the region.
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